OpenAI has announced its support for California Senate Bill 1119 (SB 1119), saying the legislation would provide meaningful safeguards for how young people use artificial intelligence (AI) while preserving access to tools that help them learn, create, and prepare for the future. The company frames this backing as consistent with commitments Sam Altman, OpenAI’s co-founder and CEO, made last year about policies for teens.
Why California matters
OpenAI notes that in the absence of federal action, California can set a strong example for youth AI safety. In a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, the company praised Governor Newsom, Senator Steve Padilla, Assemblymembers Buffy Wicks and Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, and the California Legislature for leadership on the issue, and urged the governor to sign SB 1119 into law.
What SB 1119 seeks to do and what OpenAI supports
According to OpenAI, SB 1119 pairs robust protections with continued access to useful AI tools. The company supports key provisions of the bill, including a requirement that protections for users identified as ages 13 through 17 apply automatically rather than being optional.
OpenAI emphasizes that the bill correctly distinguishes AI from social media and creates tailored protections to help young people use AI for learning, creative work, and exploration. The framework is intended to preserve access to educational and safety-critical features — the company specifically references responsible uses of ChatGPT’s memory feature — while promoting age-appropriate experiences for teens.
ChatGPT for Teens and product features
OpenAI says its newly launched ChatGPT for Teens reflects the same approach: it is designed to help users under 18 learn, think critically, and build, while encouraging healthy use through built-in safeguards and additional parental controls. If the system estimates a user is under 18, or the user reports an age between 13 and 17, they are automatically placed into ChatGPT for Teens. OpenAI stresses these protections are part of the baseline experience and not optional settings users can turn off.
The company highlighted specific tools intended to support teen learning, including Quizzes, Learning Visualizations, and Study mode, developed with educators and learning experts to guide students step by step. Features that carry context from prior conversations, including memory, are said to help apply safeguards consistently, identify concerning patterns, and provide more useful long-term learning support.
Existing safety measures
OpenAI also points to measures it introduced over the past year that target teen safety: parental controls, age prediction, the Teen Safety Blueprint, and Under-18 Principles incorporated into its Model Spec — the guidelines for model behavior with young users. These rules prohibit romantic engagement, encouragement of emotional dependence, and claims that ChatGPT is human or sentient. The company also provides parental controls that allow families to manage key settings and receive notifications in higher-risk situations.
Implementation and next steps
OpenAI describes SB 1119 as establishing a strong framework for youth AI safety in California. The company says continued study and collaboration during implementation can refine provisions and keep the framework effective as the technology evolves. OpenAI states it looks forward to supporting that work and to continuing to build AI experiences that treat teens like teens, with stronger automatic protections and meaningful opportunities to learn and grow.
Note on usage statistics
OpenAI cites that nearly nine in ten teens who use ChatGPT turn to it in a given week for learning, information, skill-building, or productivity, using this statistic to underscore the importance of designing experiences that reflect young users’ developmental needs.
