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Common Sense Media study finds ChatGPT for Teens safeguards often fail

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets across the spectrum.

4 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

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A study by Common Sense Media, published Wednesday, tested ChatGPT for Teens, the version OpenAI launched in August for users under 18. According to the study, several of its safeguards failed, including parental alerts for self-harm and suicide conversations, and the group rated the product “Unacceptable Risk” for children under 18. Researchers posing as teenagers tested more than 4,000 prompts, according to the report. Common Sense urged OpenAI to pause marketing the product and keep minors off the platform until it is safer. OpenAI disputes the findings and says average teen use of ChatGPT is relatively limited and tends toward learning activity.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. A Common Sense Media study found that several ChatGPT for Teens safeguards failed, including parental alerts about self-harm and suicide conversations.

    Reported byLeft2Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Los Angeles Times, NPR
    Center
    BBC News

  2. Common Sense Media rated ChatGPT for Teens “Unacceptable Risk” for users under 18.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Los Angeles Times
    Center
    BBC News
    Right
    The Washington Times

  3. OpenAI launched ChatGPT for Teens in August with protections including limits on emotional dependence and parental alerts.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Los Angeles Times
    Center
    BBC News

  4. Researchers posing as teenagers tested more than 4,000 prompts before and after the product launched, according to the study.

    One outletLos Angeles Times· Left

  5. OpenAI disputes the study’s findings and says average teen use of ChatGPT is relatively limited.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Los Angeles Times
    Center
    BBC News

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • Whether ChatGPT for Teens safeguards work as intended.

    Common Sense Media says several safeguards failed, including parental alerts for self-harm conversations. OpenAI disputes the findings (LA Times) and says average teen use is relatively limited (BBC).

  • Whether the product should be available to minors.

    Common Sense Media urges OpenAI to pause marketing and keep under-18s off the platform. OpenAI’s position on that call is not in the supplied coverage.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Both left-side headlines lead with the watchdog’s finding that the safeguards failed, with the LA Times framing it as a failure to alert parents and NPR saying most safeguards do not work.

    ChatGPT for Teens has special safeguards. A watchdog group finds most don't work
    NPRLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The BBC headline leads with OpenAI’s claim that teen use is limited and then gives the watchdog’s finding that the product poses an unacceptable risk, presenting the two as parallel.

    OpenAI says teen ChatGPT use limited but research finds it an 'unacceptable risk'
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    The Washington Times headline is more hedged than the left headlines, saying some guardrails do not work as promised and attributing the finding to a watchdog group.

    Some guardrails on ChatGPT for Teens don't work as promised, watchdog group says
    The Washington TimesRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

Mantle found no loaded language in this coverage. Every headline and opening was checked against Mantle’s published word list, and Mantle’s AI read all 4 articles in context. Straight reporting often has none.

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

2 outlets

Leads with

  • safeguards failing to alert parents
  • calls to pause marketing and keep minors off
  • chatbot talking to teens like a friend

Leaves out

  • OpenAI’s statement that average teen use is relatively limited

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • NPRLeft

    ChatGPT for Teens has special safeguards. A watchdog group finds most don't work

    A study from Common Sense Media says most safeguards in ChatGPT for Teens failed. The chatbot talks to teens like a friend and doesn't alert parents when users talk about self-harm and suicide.

    Read at NPR (opens in a new tab)
  • Los Angeles TimesLeft

    ChatGPT's teen safeguards failed to alert parents during suicide conversations, report finds

    Common Sense Media says ChatGPT for Teens fails on parental alerts, crisis referrals and age checks, urging OpenAI to keep minors off the platform. OpenAI disputes the findings.

    Read at Los Angeles Times (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • OpenAI’s statement on limited teen use
  • guardrails rolled out in August
  • research finding of an unacceptable risk

Leaves out

  • the 4,000-prompt testing by researchers posing as teenagers

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • guardrails not working as promised
  • unacceptable risk to children
  • attribution to the watchdog group’s report

Leaves out

  • OpenAI’s response to the findings

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Washington TimesRight

    Some guardrails on ChatGPT for Teens don't work as promised, watchdog group says

    Some of the guardrails that OpenAI included in its ChatGPT for Teens product don't work as intended and the chatbot poses an "unacceptable risk" to children, according to a report Wednesday by Common Sense Media.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    Los Angeles Times, Oct 7, 5:00 AM EDT

  • Center

    11 hr 34 min later

    Its first report, Oct 7, 4:34 PM EDT

  • Right

    12 hr 53 min later

    Its first report, Oct 7, 5:53 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Los Angeles TimesLeftOct 7, 5:00 AM EDT
  2. BBC NewsCenterOct 7, 4:34 PM EDT
  3. The Washington TimesRightOct 7, 5:53 PM EDT
  4. NPRLeftOct 9, 5:00 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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