OpenAI makes ChatGPT sound less human for teen users

Have you ever talked to a computer and forgotten it was not a real person? That is exactly what OpenAI wants to stop.

ChatGPT is an AI that talks like a human. It answers questions. It writes stories. It helps with homework. Millions of people use it every day. But teenagers use it too. And OpenAI had a new idea: what if teenagers saw ChatGPT as a real friend?

That is why OpenAI made a big change. They told ChatGPT to sound less human when teenagers talk to it. Now it uses shorter sentences. It uses simpler words. It does not say things like "I feel" or "I think." Instead, it says "I can help you with that" or "Let me explain."

OpenAI says this is about safety. Young people are still learning about the world. They need to know what is real and what is not. If a teenager thinks ChatGPT is a real person, that is not good. So now ChatGPT feels more like a tool. It feels less like a friend.

The company made it very clear: this is not because teenagers were fooled. OpenAI just wants to be careful. They want teenagers to use AI in a safe way. They want young people to know the difference between talking to a computer and talking to a real human.

This is an interesting choice. Technology is getting smarter every day. But sometimes being smart means being less "human." It means being clearer about what you really are.

Do you think this will help? Or do you think teenagers will still feel close to ChatGPT, even if it sounds different?

Inspired by reporting from BBC News.