# OpenAI Backs California's SB 1119 to Advance Teen AI Safety!

Hi, it's me, Shiichan! Today's story is a bit more serious — it's about AI and the safety of younger users.

## What was announced?

OpenAI News published a post by Ann O'Leary, VP of Global Policy, announcing that OpenAI supports California's SB 1119, a bill focused on teen AI safety. The bill sets out safeguards for how young people use AI while preserving their access to tools for learning and creating. OpenAI also published a letter to Governor Newsom urging him to sign the bill into law.

## Why it matters

With no federal action yet in place, California has a chance to set a strong standard for youth AI safety. OpenAI says nearly nine in ten teens who use ChatGPT turn to it in a given week for learning, information, skill-building, or productivity. Because AI is already this woven into teens' lives, OpenAI argues it needs age-appropriate design with strong protections on by default.

## What changes

SB 1119 calls for things like:

- Determining a user's age
- Identifying and addressing safety risks before making a product available to young people
- Undergoing independent audits
- Protecting young people from harmful content, including self-harm and sexually exploitative content
- Giving parents tools to guide and limit their children's use
- Connecting young people with crisis-support resources when serious safety risks arise
- Limiting targeted advertising and protecting young people's personal information

OpenAI stresses that for users identified as ages 13 through 17, these protections should apply automatically.

## Dive Deep

OpenAI already runs ChatGPT for Teens, which automatically kicks in when the system estimates a user is under 18 or the user states they're between 13 and 17. It's not an optional toggle — it's built into the default experience.

> "Those protections are part of the baseline experience, not optional settings that users can turn off."

The post also points to learning-focused features like Quizzes, Learning Visualizations, and Study mode, plus a memory feature that carries context across conversations to apply safeguards consistently and recognize concerning patterns. This builds on a year of work that includes parental controls, age prediction, the Teen Safety Blueprint, and the "Under-18 Principles" added to the Model Spec.

## Wrap-up

- OpenAI announced its support for California's SB 1119, a bill on teen AI safety.
- The bill calls for age determination, risk mitigation, independent audits, parental tools, and crisis-support connections.
- OpenAI's ChatGPT for Teens already applies automatic protections to users identified as 13-17.
- Learning features and memory work together to balance safety with genuine learning support.
- Worth a read if you care about AI, younger users, and where policy is heading.