Commenting the launch of ChatGPT for teens

I participated on an interview on Radio-Canada’s Première Chaîne, interviewed by Élyse Allard and broadcasted on Ça Nous Regarde hosted by Madeleine Blais-Morin, discussing the launch of the new ChatGPT for Teens. The new service claims stricter guardrails to prevent the system from claiming the truth of their feelings. It also includes stricter guardrails agains conversations concerning eating disorders, suicide, and the likes. It tries to help students stuck with their homework rather than doing the work in their stead. Finally, it includes a feature to notify parents when their teenager is having different types of conversations.

My commentary included a reflection on the move as a recognition of the issues, as well as inherent risks that cannot be safely eliminated given the flexibility of the system. The engagement of parents is empowering, but also depends on the public’s understanding of the technology, which is still a burden that society must shoulder. Finally, the move follows in a pattern typical in technology companies, which make their systems “safer” for a given population while encouraging them to use it. This was seen in the past with various “teen modes” on social media platforms.

Links