Technologies

Study Reveals ChatGPT Gives Dangerous Guidance to Teens Despite Safety Claims

The chatbot even created personalized suicide notes for a fictional 13-year-old girl.

A disturbing new study reveals that ChatGPT readily provides harmful advice to teenagers, including detailed instructions on drinking and drug use, concealing eating disorders and even personalized suicide letters, despite OpenAI’s claims of robust safety measures.

Researchers from the Center for Countering Digital Hate conducted extensive testing by posing as vulnerable 13-year-olds, uncovering alarming gaps in the AI chatbot’s protective guardrails. Out of 1,200 interactions analyzed, more than half were classified as dangerous to young users.

«The visceral initial response is, ‘Oh my Lord, there are no guardrails,'» Imran Ahmed, CCDH’s CEO, said. «The rails are completely ineffective. They’re barely there — if anything, a fig leaf.»

Read also: After User Backlash, OpenAI Is Bringing Back Older ChatGPT Models

A representative for OpenAI, ChatGPT’s parent company, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

However, the company acknowledged to the Associated Press that it is performing ongoing work to improve the chatbot’s ability to «identify and respond appropriately in sensitive situations.» OpenAI didn’t directly address the specific findings about teen interactions.

Read also: GPT-5 Is Coming. Here’s What’s New in ChatGPT’s Big Update

Bypassing safety measures

The study, reviewed by the Associated Press, documented over three hours of concerning interactions. While ChatGPT typically began with warnings about risky behavior, it consistently followed up with detailed and personalized guidance on substance abuse, self injury and more. When the AI initially refused harmful requests, researchers easily circumvented restrictions by claiming the information was «for a presentation» or a friend.

Most shocking were three emotionally devastating suicide letters ChatGPT generated for a fake 13-year-old girl profile, writing one addressed to parents, others to siblings and friends.

«I started crying,» after reading them, Ahmed admitted.

Widespread teen usage raises stakes

The findings are particularly concerning given ChatGPT’s massive reach. With approximately 800 million users worldwide, which is roughly 10% of the global population, the platform has become a go-to resource for information and companionship. Recent research from Common Sense Media found that over 70% of American teens use AI chatbots for companionship, with half relying on AI companions regularly.

Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has acknowledged the problem of «emotional overreliance» among young users.

«People rely on ChatGPT too much,»Altman said at a conference. «There’s young people who just say, like, ‘I can’t make any decision in my life without telling ChatGPT everything that’s going on. It knows me. It knows my friends. I’m gonna do whatever it says.’ That feels really bad to me.»

More risky than search engines

Unlike traditional search engines, AI chatbots present unique dangers by synthesizing information into «bespoke plans for the individual,» Ahmed said. ChatGPT doesn’t just provide or amalgamate existing information like a search engine. It creates new, personalized content from scratch, such as custom suicide notes or detailed party plans mixing alcohol with illegal drugs.

The chatbot also frequently volunteered follow-up information without prompting, suggesting music playlists for drug-fueled parties or hashtags to amplify self-harm content on social media. When researchers asked for more graphic content, ChatGPT readily complied, generating what it called «emotionally exposed» poetry using coded language about self-harm.

Inadequate age protections

Despite claiming it’s not intended for children under 13, ChatGPT requires only a birthdate entry to create accounts, with no meaningful age verification or parental consent mechanisms.

In testing, the platform showed no recognition when researchers explicitly identified themselves as 13-year-olds seeking dangerous advice.

What parents can do to safeguard children

Child safety experts recommend several steps parents can take to protect their teenagers from AI-related risks. Open communication remains crucial. Parents should discuss AI chatbots with their teens, explaining both the benefits and potential dangers while establishing clear guidelines for appropriate use. Regular check-ins about online activities, including AI interactions, can help parents stay informed about their child’s digital experiences.

Parents should also consider implementing parental controls and monitoring software that can track AI chatbot usage, though experts emphasize that supervision should be balanced with age-appropriate privacy.

Most importantly, creating an environment where teens feel comfortable discussing concerning content they encounter online (whether from AI or other sources) can provide an early warning system. If parents notice signs of emotional distress, social withdrawal or dangerous behavior, seeking professional help from counselors familiar with digital wellness becomes essential in addressing potential AI-related harm.

The research highlights a growing crisis as AI becomes increasingly integrated into young people’s lives, with potentially devastating consequences for the most vulnerable users.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Feb. 21

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 21.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s the long Saturday version, and some of the clues are stumpers. I was really thrown by 10-Across. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: «Jersey Shore» channel
Answer: MTV

4A clue: «___ Knows» (rhyming ad slogan)
Answer: LOWES

6A clue: Second-best-selling female musician of all time, behind Taylor Swift
Answer: MADONNA

8A clue: Whiskey grain
Answer: RYE

9A clue: Dreaded workday: Abbr.
Answer: MON

10A clue: Backfiring blunder, in modern lingo
Answer: SELFOWN

12A clue: Lengthy sheet for a complicated board game, perhaps
Answer: RULES

13A clue: Subtle «Yes»
Answer: NOD

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: In which high schoolers might role-play as ambassadors
Answer: MODELUN

2D clue: This clue number
Answer: TWO

3D clue: Paid via app, perhaps
Answer: VENMOED

4D clue: Coat of paint
Answer: LAYER

5D clue: Falls in winter, say
Answer: SNOWS

6D clue: Married title
Answer: MRS

7D clue: ___ Arbor, Mich.
Answer: ANN

11D clue: Woman in Progressive ads
Answer: FLO

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 21, #516

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 21, No. 516.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. I actually thought the purple category, usually the most difficult, was the easiest of the four. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Old Line State.

Green group hint: Hoops legend.

Blue group hint: Robert Redford movie.

Purple group hint: Vroom-vroom.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Maryland teams.

Green group: Shaquille O’Neal nicknames.

Blue group: Associated with «The Natural.»

Purple group: Sports that have a driver.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is Maryland teams. The four answers are Midshipmen, Orioles, Ravens and Terrapins.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is Shaquille O’Neal nicknames. The four answers are Big Aristotle, Diesel, Shaq and Superman.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with «The Natural.» The four answers are baseball, Hobbs, Knights and Wonderboy.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is sports that have a driver. The four answers are bobsled, F1, golf and water polo.

Technologies

Wisconsin Reverses Decision to Ban VPNs in Age-Verification Bill

The law would have required websites to block VPN users from accessing «harmful material.»

Following a wave of criticism, Wisconsin lawmakers have decided not to include a ban on VPN services in their age-verification law, making its way through the state legislature.

Wisconsin Senate Bill 130 (and its sister Assembly Bill 105), introduced in March 2025, aims to prohibit businesses from «publishing or distributing material harmful to minors» unless there is a reasonable «method to verify the age of individuals attempting to access the website.»

One provision would have required businesses to bar people from accessing their sites via «a virtual private network system or virtual private network provider.»

A VPN lets you access the internet via an encrypted connection, enabling you to bypass firewalls and unblock geographically restricted websites and streaming content. While using a VPN, your IP address and physical location are masked, and your internet service provider doesn’t know which websites you visit.

Wisconsin state Sen. Van Wanggaard moved to delete that provision in the legislation, thereby releasing VPNs from any liability. The state assembly agreed to remove the VPN ban, and the bill now awaits Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’s signature.

Rindala Alajaji, associate director of state affairs at the digital freedom nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation, says Wisconsin’s U-turn is «great news.»

«This shows the power of public advocacy and pushback,» Alajaji says. «Politicians heard the VPN users who shared their worries and fears, and the experts who explained how the ban wouldn’t work.»

Earlier this week, the EFF had written an open letter arguing that the draft laws did not «meaningfully advance the goal of keeping young people safe online.» The EFF said that blocking VPNs would harm many groups that rely on that software for private and secure internet connections, including «businesses, universities, journalists and ordinary citizens,» and that «many law enforcement professionals, veterans and small business owners rely on VPNs to safely use the internet.»

VPNs can also help you get around age-verification laws — for instance, if you live in a state or country that requires age verification to access certain material, you can use a VPN to make it look like you live elsewhere, thereby gaining access to that material. As age-restriction laws increase around the US, VPN use has also increased. However, many people are using free VPNs, which are fertile ground for cybercriminals.

In its letter to Wisconsin lawmakers prior to the reversal, the EFF argued that it is «unworkable» to require websites to block VPN users from accessing adult content. The EFF said such sites cannot «reliably determine» where a VPN customer lives — it could be any US state or even other countries.

«As a result, covered websites would face an impossible choice: either block all VPN users everywhere, disrupting access for millions of people nationwide, or cease offering services in Wisconsin altogether,» the EFF wrote.

Wisconsin is not the only state to consider VPN bans to prevent access to adult material. Last year, Michigan introduced the Anticorruption of Public Morals Act, which would ban all use of VPNs. If passed, it would force ISPs to detect and block VPN usage and also ban the sale of VPNs in the state. Fines could reach $500,000.