OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Teens as Florida child-safety lawsuit advances

A lawsuit with sweeping allegations

OpenAI has previously said it builds safeguards into its products and has rolled out features intended to limit sensitive conversations and direct users to crisis resources. The company has not publicly responded to each allegation in the Florida complaint. Attorneys for the plaintiffs have not commented beyond the court filings.

The teen-focused experience is the company's most explicit effort so far to differentiate the way its product behaves for younger audiences. It includes default settings intended to limit the model's engagement with self-harm content, tighter restrictions on personalised advice and a redesigned onboarding flow that highlights the chatbot's limitations. OpenAI said the new experience would roll out gradually to users aged thirteen to seventeen in select markets before a broader release.

Ann O'Leary, one of the members of OpenAI's expert council, said the group had been convened to bring outside perspective to questions about how AI products reach adolescents. The council has discussed age-appropriate design, parental controls and the way the chatbot should respond when younger users disclose distress. Allison Mishkin, another council member, has previously worked on youth online-safety policy.

Expert council shapes the design

The Florida case joins a growing body of litigation in the United States targeting AI companies over their products' effects on children. Plaintiffs in such cases have argued that chatbots can produce harmful or addictive experiences for young users and that companies have not moved quickly enough to address the risks. OpenAI has said it is reviewing the complaint and intends to mount a vigorous defence.

Industry observers note that the rollout arrives at a sensitive moment for the sector. Regulators in the European Union, the United Kingdom and several US states are weighing rules that would impose stricter obligations on AI products used by minors. Educational institutions are also reassessing how chatbots are integrated into classrooms, with some districts banning their use and others adopting them as tutoring aids.

Regulatory backdrop

OpenAI said the new experience would be updated regularly as the expert council and internal teams learn more about how teenagers interact with the system. The company has not disclosed how many users the teen-focused product is expected to reach in its initial release or which countries will be included beyond the United States.

The Florida lawsuit is expected to proceed through discovery in the coming months. A scheduling conference has not yet been set, according to court records. Plaintiffs are seeking damages and an injunction that would require OpenAI to modify the product for minors.

OpenAI's broader strategy for younger users also includes classroom partnerships, teacher training and a forthcoming set of documentation intended to help parents understand the chatbot's capabilities and limits. The company said it would share more details in the coming weeks.