Watchdogs slam OpenAIs claim that teens use ChatGPT less than 15 minutes per day

Online safety watchdogs slammed Sam Altman’s OpenAI for claiming the average teen uses ChatGPT less than 15 minutes per day – with one critic saying the data “rings hollow” without outside confirmation.The AI giant released the 15-minute figure in its first report on “ChatGPT for Teens” – a limited version of its chatbot for kids ages 13 to 17.The program was OpenAI’s answer to mounting scrutiny about how AI chatbots are affecting the mental and emotional health of children – with some critics linking chatbots to declining grades, suicidal thoughts and even self-harm.OpenAI said research showed teens spend “under 15 minutes a day on ChatGPT” on average, with less than 2% of teen users spending more than three straight hours on the chatbot.

The company’s blog post did not contain specifics about those data points or how they were determined.The lack of transparency and independent verification of OpenAI’s claims is cause for concern, according to Sebastian Mahal, co-chair of the kids safety group Design It For Us.Mahal told The Post that “we’ve seen this playbook before” from Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, which has faced severe criticism over the effectiveness of its teen account feature on Instagram.“OpenAI’s claim that teens are safe on its products rings just as hollow unless backed by independent verification, especially as the company faces lawsuits and mounting scrutiny over harms to young users’ mental health and safety,” Mahal said in a statement.“If OpenAI were serious about protecting young people, it would support strong, enforceable laws that hold AI companies accountable for how they design their products,” he added.Reached for comment, an OpenAI spokesperson said the company is working with independent third-party researchers to compile data on teen ChatGPT usage.

OpenAI plans to publish a more complete version of its research in the coming months.The company asserted that a feature urging teen users to take br...