Is ChatGPT OK for my child?
The general-purpose AI assistant most children now meet through homework. Answers questions, writes, explains and increasingly talks, which makes it feel more personal than a search engine.
Minimum age
13 (parental consent 13 to 17)
OpenAI added automated age prediction in 2026 to route younger users to a safer experience.
Type
AI
Official safety page
OpenAI safetyWhat to actually watch for
- Confident wrong answers: it can be inaccurate while sounding authoritative.
- Homework shortcutting, the most common school concern.
- Emotional reliance in vulnerable teens who use it as a confidant.
- Content filters are strong but not perfect.
The settings worth switching on
Use the parental controls to link your account to your teen's: they let you set quiet hours and reduce sensitive content.
Make sure the account has a real date of birth so the under-18 experience applies.
Agree the homework rule together: using it to understand, not to hand in.
Keep an eye on it becoming the confidant of choice; our AI hub covers the signs.
Our honest take
Genuinely useful from secondary school with the account age set honestly and the homework conversation had early. The risk profile is less about content and more about trust: children believe it, and it is sometimes wrong. Teaching "check it against a real source" is the core skill.
Frequently asked questions
Go deeper
Other ai apps parents ask about
Last reviewed: August 2026. Minimum ages and settings were checked against the platform's own published policies, and platforms change them often, so the official page linked above always has the latest.