OpenAI, Anthropic roll out new safety steps for teen chatbot users

Technology Dec 19, 2025

OpenAI and Anthropic are making their chatbots, ChatGPT and Claude, safer for teens.
Now, if you're between 13 and 17, ChatGPT will avoid sensitive topics like self-harm or adult content and suggest reaching out to trusted adults or mental health professionals if needed.
These changes come as regulators and policymakers express growing concern about how AI affects young users.

How the new age checks work

OpenAI is testing a system that tries to spot when someone might be under 18—it'll ask for age verification if you get flagged by mistake.
Anthropic's Claude uses conversation clues to identify minors and can disable accounts if needed.
All of this is meant to help keep teens safer as chatbots become a bigger part of everyday life.