OpenAI Launches ChatGPT for Teens and College Planner Tool

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT for Teens, a tailored experience for its 1.2 billion global users, specifically designed for accounts under 18. The initiative includes a new College Planner tool aimed at assisting high school students in navigating the college application process. This tool targets students in grades 10-12 and is developed in partnership with the College Advising Corps, a nonprofit organization that supports college application navigation. Ekaterina Struett, CEO of the College Advising Corps, emphasized the tool's potential to help students confidently address unanswered questions about forms, deadlines, and fees.

In addition to the College Planner, ChatGPT for Teens has seen significant engagement, with 1.2 million teens utilizing Learning Visualizations within a week of its launch. The platform also recorded an average increase of 2.7 million learning-related messages from teens, indicating a strong interest in educational content. Approximately 180,000 teens have engaged with the Study Mode feature for learning support, spending an average of 15 minutes daily on the platform, with 2% of users spending over three consecutive hours.

The Digital Wellness Lab, a partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital, will implement projects in the 2026-27 school year, involving 22 students, including 12 aged 14-18 focusing on digital wellbeing and 10 aged 16-20 working on AI projects. Dr. Michael Rich, founder and director of the Digital Wellness Lab, and Cori Stott, executive director, noted the importance of youth insights in AI development, stating that young people provide critical perspectives that adults may overlook. This follows OpenAI's recent initiatives aimed at enhancing AI literacy and engagement among younger audiences.