Expert urges caution as OpenAI launches ChatGPT for teenagers

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Expert urges caution as OpenAI launches ChatGPT for teenagers

Jim Spiewak, KUTV

Wed, August 19, 2026 at 3:20 PM

Wed, August 19, 2026 at 4:27 PM

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 20: In this photo illustration, the OpenAI logo is displayed on a laptop screen on May 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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Teenagers

AI guardrails

Emotional attachment

Misinformation

Regulation

XMission

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) —

For parents whose teenagers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for schoolwork, advice or even companionship, Pete Ashdown, the owner of XMission, says the risks are no longer theoretical.

“This is not a problem that’s projected in the future. It’s a problem that’s happening right now,” Ashdown said, warning that young people can form emotional attachments to AI chatbots and may not recognize when the technology provides false or potentially harmful information.

His concerns come as OpenAI announced plans to expand ChatGPT offerings for teenagers with additional protections and an emphasis on educational uses.

Ashdown said he appreciates the company’s effort to create a product more tailored to teenagers but remains skeptical about how effective its safeguards will be.

“AI has been notoriously hard to put guardrails on,” he said.

OpenAI has said the changes are around improving the educational experience for teenagers while providing additional protections.

Ashdown compared the emerging concerns surrounding AI with lessons learned from social media, where some effects on users became clearer only years after the platforms became widespread.

“We’ve learned some hard lessons from

来源: Brave/kutv.com