OpenAI adds age prediction to ChatGPT to protect minors

OpenAI has introduced an age prediction feature into ChatGPT to identify minors and apply content constraints. The new mechanism builds on safety measures already in place at the company. OpenAI has been working on addressing issues related to underage users, and the new age prediction feature adds to the safety protections that are already in place. The company already has content filters designed to weed out discussions of sex, violence, and other potentially problematic topics for users who are under age 18. Under the new system, if the age prediction mechanism identifies an account as being held by a user under the age of 18, those content filters are automatically applied to the account.

According to OpenAI, the feature uses an AI algorithm to assess behavioral and account-level signals to identify young users. The company stated that these signals include data points such as the user’s stated age, the length of time an account has existed, and the times of day that the account is usually active. If a user is mistakenly designated as underage by the algorithm, OpenAI says there is a way for them to reestablish their adult account. To do so, they can submit a selfie to Persona, an ID verification service provider that acts as OpenAI’s identity verification partner.

The rollout of the feature, which OpenAI announced in a blog post on Tuesday, follows significant criticism regarding the chatbot’s impact on children. A number of teen suicides have been linked to the chatbot, and OpenAI has faced scrutiny for allowing ChatGPT to discuss sexual topics with young users. Additionally, last April, the company was forced to address a bug that allowed its chatbot to generate erotica for users who were under the age of 18. These issues have contributed to mounting concern over the chatbot’s impact on children, as well as broader concerns regarding the impact of artificial intelligence on young people.

Why it matters

OpenAI is implementing this feature to address mounting criticism regarding the chatbot’s impact on children and previous failures to prevent the generation of inappropriate content for minors.