source: techcrunch ai: openai bets on families as chatgpt goes deeper into households
level: business
openai is hiring a product manager in san francisco to create features for families, caregivers, and older adults. the role requires experience with products for parents and trust-sensitive consumer experiences. this move comes as chatgpt's audience grows older. sensor tower data shows the share of users aged 35 and above rose to 31% globally in q2 from 26% a year earlier, while the 18-24 group fell to 29% from 34%. in the us, nearly one in four parent smartphone users used chatgpt in q2, up from 16% a year ago.
analysts say this signals a shift from individual productivity tools to household technology. ben bajarin of creative strategies compared it to how google, apple, and meta evolved as their platforms became embedded in daily life. he noted ai raises the stakes because the assistant mediates more than content or devices. stephen balkam of the family online safety institute called it safety by redesign, stressing that products for children need different safeguards. a new survey found 27% of us parents said their child used generative ai in the past week, but 38% of children reported using it themselves.
openai has faced lawsuits over child safety and has added parental controls, sensitive conversation routing, and a trusted contact feature for potential self-harm alerts. balkam said ai companies can avoid social media's mistakes by building age-appropriate experiences with stronger controls and reminders that users are interacting with ai. the hiring aligns with openai's broader family efforts, including a workshop on ai in learning and youth engagement. while chatgpt still has fewer older users than rivals, it is adding them faster, with the 45+ share up three points year-over-year.
why it matters: ai tools are becoming household utilities, requiring design for all ages and stronger safety measures to protect children and build trust.
source: techcrunch ai: openai bets on families as chatgpt goes deeper into households