OpenAI is the latest company to join the race of gating access as users age. The AI business is starting the global rollout of an age prediction tool to determine whether a user is a minor. “The model looks at a combination of behavioral and account-level signals, including how long an account has existed, the specific time of day when one is active, usage patterns over time, and the user’s stated age,” the company’s announcement said. If a person is incorrectly reported as being underage by ChatGPT, they must submit a selfie to correct the mistake through the Persona age verification platform.
Most AI companies are willing to push new features first and then try to layer protections and security guards over them after they do the damage. OpenAI was implicated in a wrongful death lawsuit by a teen who allegedly used ChatGPT to plan her suicide, and only in the following months began considering automatically banning content for underage users and starting a mental health advisory council. In this example, OpenAI is attempting to prepare for the launch of an “adult mode” that would allow users to create and consume content labeled NSFW. Considering how well a similar change is going on Roblox, another platform with a shaky history regarding the protection of minors, it’s possible that underage users will find ways to circumvent existing tools if they want to use ChatGPT as adults.
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