OpenAI supports California Senate Bill 1119, which would create safeguards for young people using AI while preserving access to tools for learning, creativity, and preparation for the future.
The company urged Governor Gavin Newsom to sign the legislation, crediting Senator Steve Padilla, Assemblymembers Buffy Wicks and Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, and the California Legislature for advancing the proposal. OpenAI said the bill could establish a strong youth AI safety standard in the absence of federal action.
OpenAI cited research indicating that nearly nine in ten teens who use ChatGPT use it weekly for learning, information, skill-building, or productivity. The company said this opportunity requires protections designed around teenagers’ developmental needs.
Its newly launched ChatGPT for Teens is intended for users under 18, including those identified as ages 13 through 17. The experience includes built-in safeguards, healthy-use features, and additional parental controls. These protections are applied by default rather than offered as optional settings.
Requirements supported by OpenAI
OpenAI said SB 1119 appropriately combines access to useful AI with accountability. It supports requirements to:
- Determine a user’s age.
- Identify and address safety risks before releasing products to young people.
- Conduct independent audits.
- Protect users from self-harm material, sexually exploitative content, and other high-risk interactions.
- Give parents tools to guide and limit use.
- Connect young people with crisis-support resources when serious risks emerge.
- Limit targeted advertising and protect personal information.
For users ages 13 through 17, OpenAI said these protections should apply automatically. The company also highlighted the bill’s distinction between AI and social media, arguing that its provisions can preserve educational and safety-critical functions, including responsible uses of ChatGPT’s memory feature.
Features for teen learning and safety
ChatGPT for Teens includes Quizzes, Learning Visualizations, and Study mode. Developed with educators and learning experts, these tools are designed to guide students through problems step by step and strengthen learning habits.
Context from previous conversations, including memory, can help maintain consistent safeguards, identify concerning patterns, and provide more relevant support over time. OpenAI said continuity can also help teens continue long-term learning projects without restarting and reduce the risk of reinforcing harmful patterns.
During the past year, OpenAI added parental controls, age prediction, its Teen Safety Blueprint, and Under-18 Principles to the Model Spec governing model behavior. These principles prohibit romantic engagement, encouragement of emotional dependence, and claims that ChatGPT is human or sentient. Parents can manage key settings and receive notifications about high-risk situations.
OpenAI described SB 1119 as a strong foundation for youth AI safety in California, while supporting continued study and collaboration as the technology develops. The company said it plans to help refine implementation and build AI experiences with stronger automatic protections and meaningful opportunities for teens to learn and grow.