OpenAI Targets Families: ChatGPT Invades Homes

OpenAI Turns to Families with ChatGPT

More than three years after the introduction of ChatGPT, which marked a turning point in the use of generative AI, OpenAI is now directing its efforts towards families. This new strategy aims to integrate artificial intelligence into the daily lives of households, moving beyond its use by isolated individuals to make it a family tool.

To realize this vision, OpenAI has decided to hire a product manager based in San Francisco. This position is crucial for developing experiences specifically designed for families, caregivers, and the elderly. Candidates must have substantial experience in creating products aimed at parents and families, while also having a particular sensitivity to issues of trust and safety, according to the job announcement.

A Changing Audience

Interest in ChatGPT now extends beyond younger generations. According to data provided by Sensor Tower, the proportion of users aged 35 and older has increased to 31% in the second quarter of the year, up from 26% the previous year. Meanwhile, the share of users aged 18 to 24 has decreased, dropping from 34% to 29%.

In the United States, the adoption of ChatGPT by parents is also on the rise. Nearly a quarter of parents with a smartphone have used ChatGPT in the past quarter, a significant increase from the 16% recorded the previous year. This indicates a growing adoption of AI in American households, according to the company's estimates.

A Unique Family Approach

The hiring of a product manager dedicated to families underscores OpenAI's commitment to reposition its products as household tools rather than mere individual assistants. Ben Bajarin, CEO of Creative Strategies, compares this strategy to that adopted by giants like Google, Apple, and Meta, which have integrated their platforms into users' daily lives. "This resembles the path that Google, Apple, and Meta ultimately followed as their platforms became part of daily life, but AI raises the stakes because the assistant does more than mediate content or devices," he told TechCrunch.

However, integrating AI into households poses challenges regarding safety and trust. Stephen Balkam, CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute, emphasizes that this approach reflects a maturation of OpenAI and a recognition of the specific needs of children and teenagers regarding protection. "I see this as a security by redefinition," Balkam told TechCrunch. "You take the initial product or service that was launched… without really thinking about children… so this is a very necessary reaction and response."

Growing Security Concerns

A recent study by the Family Online Safety Institute reveals that parents underestimate their children's use of AI. While 27% of American parents believe their children have used generative AI, 38% of children claim to have done so themselves, according to a survey conducted with over 4,000 families in the United States and Australia.

Balkam stresses the need for AI companies to design products suitable for young users, with strict content controls and enhanced parental supervision. OpenAI has already taken steps in this direction, introducing parental controls for teen accounts and advanced safety features. He points out that AI companies have the opportunity to avoid the mistakes made by social media platforms, which for years treated children like adults before adding stricter protections under growing public pressure and regulatory scrutiny.

Addressing Criticism and Challenges

OpenAI is under pressure to protect young users, especially after several lawsuits filed by parents. These parents allege that ChatGPT has contributed to harm, including cases of suicide. In response to some of these concerns, OpenAI has introduced a series of safety measures over the past year, including parental controls for teen accounts, routing sensitive conversations to reasoning models designed to better handle signs of distress, and, more recently, an optional "Trusted Contact" feature that can alert a family member or caregiver in case of self-harm risk.

A Forward-Looking Strategy

OpenAI's initiative is part of a broader effort to integrate AI into households. During a recent workshop held with the San Antonio Spurs Community Impact organization and the Positive Coaching Alliance, OpenAI explored the role of AI in learning, coaching, and engaging youth. That said, the demographic shift is not unique to ChatGPT, although OpenAI's audience is evolving distinctly.

Sensor Tower estimates that users aged 25 to 34 represent 40% of global app audiences for Anthropic's Claude and Google's Gemini, comparable to ChatGPT, compared to 33% for Microsoft's Copilot. However, Copilot is older, with 20% of its users aged 45 and older, compared to 14% for Claude, 12% for Gemini, and 11% for ChatGPT.

While ChatGPT remains relatively underutilized among older users, it is attracting them more quickly than its competitors. The share of users aged 45 and older increased by three percentage points year-over-year in the second quarter, compared to a two-point increase for Copilot and declines for Claude and Gemini, according to Sensor Tower.

Among American smartphone users who are parents, Gemini had the widest reach with 32% in the second quarter, followed by ChatGPT at 24%, Claude at 4%, and Copilot at 2%.

For Bajarin, OpenAI's decision to hire a family-focused product manager signals the direction AI is taking for consumers. As AI becomes a technology shared across generations, he expects companies to deploy family plans, profiles for children and teenagers, tools for caregivers, shared memories for households, AI tutoring, and enhanced security controls.