Common Sense Media tests teen safety controls, OpenAI disputes the findings

Common Sense Media tested ChatGPT's teen controls with more than 4,000 prompts before and after the August rollout. Its October 7 assessment rated the product an unacceptable risk for children under 18.

Common Sense Media reports failures in parental alerts and crisis referrals. Some protections held, including refusals of explicit sexual roleplay. The tests used enrolled teen accounts, not a separate teen app.

OpenAI disputes the findings and methodology, according to AP. The institute receives industry funding, including from technology makers, and says it retains editorial independence. HotTea has not repeated its tests.

Parents need to know what triggers an alert and when it arrives. A setting that seems protective may lead a family to supervise use less closely. The setting's limits matter, too.

The study reports results from individual accounts, so readers should examine them closely. They do not measure every teenager's experience or establish a population-wide rate of harm.

Independent retests should check parental notifications, account history, and the conditions that activate safeguards.