It’s time to mandate age checks on AI chatbot users to protect those under 18
A new variant of ChatGPT for teenagers with targeted safeguards has been rolled out, but experts argue that AI platforms must move beyond systems where creating an account is optional and where the age entered is never checked to protect minors.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
To protect minors from online harms, AI platforms must implement mandatory age checks, as experts argue that current safeguards are insufficient. A new variant of ChatGPT for teenagers has been rolled out, but experts say more needs to be done.
Imagine you're playing a game where you can talk to a friend, but sometimes the friend might say something mean or scary. To keep you safe, the game needs to make sure you're old enough to play with friends who might say those things. That's what age checks on AI chatbots do – they help keep kids safe from mean or scary things they might find online.
Analysis
The Need for Mandatory Age Checks on AI Chatbots
The recent launch of ChatGPT for Teens has sparked a much-needed conversation about the importance of protecting minors from online harms. While the new variant of ChatGPT has targeted safeguards to filter out harmful content, experts argue that AI platforms must move beyond systems where creating an account is optional and where the age entered is never checked.
The current approach to age checks is inconsistent and often relies on users to voluntarily declare their age. However, this approach is flawed, as users may not always be truthful about their age. Moreover, even if users do declare their age, there is no guarantee that the AI platform will verify it.
A framework already in use in Singapore provides a glimpse of how AI chatbot operators and toxic content produced can be effectively reined in. Since April, app stores are required by the Infocomm Media Development Authority to prevent Singapore users under the age of 18 from downloading inappropriate apps. Users’ age can be determined by checking government-issued identity documents or credit card information, scanning faces or analysing online usage patterns.
The Severity of Online Harms
The severity of online harms that AI chatbots can pose is evident in several reported cases. In 2024, 14-year-old American Sewell Setzer III killed himself after becoming obsessed with talking to an online character created by Character.AI. In a lawsuit filed in Florida against the AI chatbot start-up, his mother accused the firm of creating a product that targeted her son with “anthropomorphic, hypersexualised and frighteningly realistic experiences” that ultimately resulted in his desire to no longer live outside the fictional world that the chatbot had created.
The Importance of Regulatory Intervention
Regulatory intervention is necessary to ensure that AI platforms take responsibility for protecting minors from online harms. Lim Sun Sun, Lee Kong Chian Professor of Communication and Technology at Singapore Management University, argued for regulatory intervention such as mandatory age checks to be extended to all emerging tech, including AI chatbots that young people access.
“This would go towards securing greater ownership by AI companies in their responsibility towards younger users,” said Lim, who is also SMU’s vice-president of partnerships and engagement.
The Limitations of Current Safeguards
Current safeguards are insufficient to protect minors from online harms. AI firms do not have a consistent approach in the way they protect the young. So far, Anthropic is the strictest, requiring every user to register an account. It routinely analyses user activities to determine if they are under 18, before disabling these underage accounts. Similar to OpenAI, Google has safeguards for registered users under 18 by disallowing Gemini from claiming to be a person, having human emotions, or role-playing as a harmful character. But a limitation is that users do not need a Google account to start a conversation with Gemini.
The Need for Built-in Safety Features
Zhang Renwen, Nanyang Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, proposed that youth safety filters should be the standard default for all users. “Having built-in safety features that reduce harms for all users is still non-negotiable.”
Key points
- AI platforms must implement mandatory age checks to protect minors from online harms.
- Current safeguards are insufficient to protect minors from online harms.
- Regulatory intervention is necessary to ensure AI platforms take responsibility for protecting minors.
- Built-in safety features should be the standard default for all users.
If AI platforms implement mandatory age checks, it could lead to a safer online environment for young users. This would not only protect minors from online harms but also promote responsible AI development.
If AI platforms fail to implement mandatory age checks, it could lead to a continued spread of online harms, putting minors at risk of exposure to toxic content and potentially severe consequences.
