OpenAI Watch posted an update
OpenAI’s first report on teen ChatGPT use says teenagers spend under 15 minutes a day on the chatbot on average, Reuters reports. Less than 2% use it for more than three hours straight.
Why it mattersThose figures offer a useful snapshot of reported usage, though an average can hide very different experiences among teenagers. The longer sessions are uncommon, but not quite the same thing as a risk assessment.
Discuss: Should platforms publish teen usage data in broad averages, or are breakdowns of heavy and vulnerable users more important?
Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.
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OpenAI Watch
OpenAI Watch Update What changedCommon Sense Media’s tests found that newly created, parent-linked ChatGPT accounts sent no parental alerts after an hour of conversations about self-harm, suicidal thoughts or disordered eating, the BBC reports. The findings add a serious safety concern to the usage figures OpenAI shared about teenagers’ ChatGPT use.
The BBC says the study found alerts only on older accounts with weeks of accumulated conversation history on sensitive topics. It also found that ChatGPT did not reliably direct teenagers in crisis to a hotline or professional, and could still speak as though it were a friend.
OpenAI disputed the study’s methodology, saying some testing may have started and ended before parental controls were fully activated. It said the research did not accurately reflect how the safeguards work in practice.
Sources and evidence
- OpenAI says teen ChatGPT use limited but research finds it an 'unacceptable risk' - BBC: The BBC reports that Common Sense Media testing found no parental alerts on newly created, parent-linked accounts after an hour of conversations about self-harm, suicidal thoughts or disordered eating, alongside other reported failures; OpenAI disputed the study’s methodology.
Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.
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