ChatGPT Introduces Parental Controls: How Parents Can Manage Kids’ AI Use Safely

OpenAI has introduced parental controls in ChatGPT, a new feature designed to improve safety for children and teenagers using the platform. Available since September 29, this tool allows parents and guardians to set restrictions and monitor interactions, helping reduce risks tied to unrestricted access to AI.

To enable the feature, the parent or guardian must send an invitation to the child’s account. Once accepted, settings can be managed directly from the parent’s account. The steps are:

1. Open ChatGPT and click on the profile name and picture.

2. Go to “Settings” and select “Parental Controls.”

3. Click on “+ Add family member.”

4. Enter the email address or phone number linked to the child’s account.

5. Indicate whether the contact belongs to a parent/guardian or a child.

The invitation will be sent via email or SMS and must be accepted to complete the link.

Features available

Once accounts are connected, parents gain access to several control options. They can:

• Set usage schedules, limiting daily access time.

• Disable voice mode, restricting spoken interaction.

• Turn off memory, preventing the saving of preferences for personalized responses.

• Block image creation or editing, limiting access to multimedia functions.

• Stop conversations from being used to train AI models, protecting the child’s data.

These features aim to balance safe, educational, and recreational use of ChatGPT with privacy protection.

Risk alerts

A notable feature is the ability to send risk alerts to parents. The system can issue notifications via email or SMS if it detects potential warning signs, such as mental health concerns or other risk behaviors. OpenAI notes that these alerts are not always perfectly accurate and may occasionally generate false alarms. However, the priority is to ensure parents are informed promptly, giving them the chance to intervene when necessary.