OpenAI Japan announces Japan Teen Safety Blueprint to put teen safety first

OpenAI Japan announces Japan Teen Safety Blueprint to put teen safety first

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OpenAI Japan today announced the Japan Teen Safety Blueprint, a new framework to help teens use generative AI safely and with confidence.

In Japan, where a growing number of teens are already using generative AI for learning, creativity, and everyday tasks, this work is especially important. As the first generation grows up alongside AI, it is critical to ensure that these technologies are designed with their safety and well-being in mind from the outset.

Generative AI is already supporting people across a wide range of activities from learning and creative expression to everyday tasks that help individuals thrive at school, at work, and in their personal lives. At a broader level, it also has the potential to accelerate scientific discovery and help address complex challenges facing society.

At the same time, like any powerful technology, AI introduces new risks, especially for younger users including exposure to misinformation, inappropriate content, and psychological strain. Our approach is guided by a clear principle: for teens, safety comes first, even when it requires tradeoffs with convenience, privacy, or freedom of use.

Key pillars of the Japan Teen Safety Blueprint

• More advanced age-aware protections on platform
  OpenAI will apply privacy-conscious, risk-based age estimation to better distinguish teens from adults and provide appropriate protections for each group. Appeals processes will be available when users believe age determinations are incorrect.
• Stronger safety policies for users under 18
  OpenAI will strengthen protections to help ensure AI do not depict or encourage self-harm or suicide, generate explicit sexual or violent content, encourage dangerous behavior, or reinforce harmful body image. Responses will be designed to be appropriate to the developmental stage of younger users. We also ensure the AI does not help minors conceal risky behaviors, symptoms, or health-related concerns from trusted parents or caregivers.
• Expanded parental controls
  Tools such as account linking, privacy and settings controls, usage-time management, and alerts when needed will help families tailor protections based on their individual circumstances.
• Research-based, well-being-centered design
  In collaboration with clinicians, researchers, educators, and child safety experts, OpenAI will continue improving features such as break reminders and pathways to real-world support, while advancing research into AI's impact on teen mental health and development.

Existing safeguards

These new efforts build on protections already in place across ChatGPT, including:

• In-product reminders that encourage breaks during extended use
• Safeguards that detect potential self-harm signals and guide users to real-world resources
• Multi-layered safety systems and abuse monitoring
• Industry-leading prevention of AI-generated child sexual exploitation material

Working with Japanese society

We support Japan's approach to balancing strong protections for minors with responsible access to technology. We will continue to engage with parents, educators, researchers, policymakers, and local communities through transparent dialogue and continuous improvement. We also believe that protecting teens in the age of AI is a shared responsibility, and that these types of protections should become a standard across the industry.

"Protecting the safety of a generation growing up with AI is a responsibility shared across society-including companies, governments, educators, and families. OpenAI is committed to working closely with stakeholders across Japan to help create an environment where young users can learn, create, and expand their potential with confidence."

OpenAI will continue to advance these efforts as part of its broader commitment to safe and responsible AI.

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