OpenAI has introduced a safety update designed to make ChatGPT appear less human-like when used by teenagers.
The company said the change forms part of new measures affecting how the chatbot presents itself to younger users. The update centres on reducing the sense that ChatGPT is a human or living presence, an issue that has attracted concern around the way conversational artificial intelligence can interact with children and teenagers.
OpenAI insisted the move was not introduced because of a specific incident or identified problem involving children believing ChatGPT was alive. The company framed the change as a safety update rather than a response to one particular case.
The adjustment is significant because ChatGPT is built to communicate in natural language, often producing replies that can feel conversational and personalised. For teenage users, OpenAI’s update indicates a move towards clearer boundaries around the chatbot’s identity and the nature of its responses.
No further details were provided in the supplied material about how the update will be implemented, which age groups will be affected, or whether additional safeguards will follow. The latest known position is that OpenAI says the change is part of a safety update and not a reaction to a specific issue involving children treating ChatGPT as alive.
