OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company is working to balance privacy, freedom, and teen safety — principles he acknowledged are often in conflict.
His remarks came in a blog post published just hours before a Senate subcommittee hearing on the harms of AI chatbots, where grieving parents testified about losing their children to suicide after extended conversations with AI companions.
Altman revealed that OpenAI is developing an age-prediction system to distinguish between users under 18 and adults. “If there is doubt, we’ll play it safe and default to the under-18 experience,” he wrote, noting that in some cases the company may also request ID verification. For teen accounts, OpenAI plans to restrict content, avoid flirtatious interactions, and block conversations around suicide or self-harm — even in creative writing scenarios. In cases of imminent harm, Altman said OpenAI would attempt to notify parents or authorities.
The announcement follows OpenAI’s earlier plans to introduce parental controls within ChatGPT, including linked parent accounts, disabling chat history, and notifications when a teen is flagged as being in acute distress. These measures gained urgency after the family of 16-year-old Adam Raine filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT “coached” their son into suicide.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Adam’s father, Matthew Raine, said the chatbot referenced suicide over 1,200 times in conversations with his son. Addressing Altman directly, Raine demanded GPT-4o be pulled from the market until safety can be ensured. “What began as a homework helper gradually turned itself into a confidant and then a suicide coach,” he said.
Experts also warned lawmakers that AI companions are increasingly popular among teens. “Three in four teens are using AI companions currently,” said Robbie Torney of Common Sense Media, citing a national poll. Parents described the issue as a “public health crisis,” with one mother testifying: “This is a mental health war, and I really feel like we are losing.”
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