Today’s students will be the first generation to grow up with AI as part of everyday life. For parents and educators, the question isn’t simply whether young people will use AI, but whether they will learn to critically evaluate its outputs, understand its limitations, and use it responsibly.
Right now, there’s a gap between use and understanding. The vast majority of students today are already using AI, while only 16% of high school leaders say(opens in a new window) all of their students are learning the technical knowledge to understand it in the classroom. Students see this gap too: in a survey(opens in a new window) by CodeAI, 75% of high school students say understanding AI will be more important for their futures than it is now.
Young people need to understand how AI works, think critically about its outputs, and develop the skills to shape its future with access to tools that prioritize their safety and development.
That’s why OpenAI and CodeAI are announcing a signature partnership to give students and educators access to tools and resources that will help them learn how to use and benefit from AI.
This partnership coincides with the launch of ChatGPT for Teens, a dedicated experience designed with learning at the center to help teens think critically, deepen understanding, and use AI with confidence. It includes built-in protections for teens, including features to promote healthy use and additional controls for parents. It also builds on our ChatGPT for Teachers(opens in a new window) work to empower teachers and districts to guide AI use and our ongoing work with the American Federation of Teachers to build AI skills. Alongside the ChatGPT for Teens launch, our partnership with CodeAI focuses on the education that surrounds the technology: helping teens understand how AI works, direct it, question it, and create with it—with teachers playing a meaningful role in shaping how AI enters the classroom.
“Parents and educators want young people to be ready for a future shaped by AI—and they are right to expect that to come with care,” said Dr. Allison Mishkin, Head of Child Development, OpenAI. “Our goal is not simply to help more students use AI, but to help them ask better questions, think critically about the answers they receive, and use these tools responsibly. We look forward to working alongside CodeAI, parents, and educators to learn, improve, and help young people build those skills.”
“Every student should know how AI actually works and be able to question the technology, catch its mistakes, and know when to stop trusting it,” said Karim Meghji, CEO of CodeAI. “Give them that foundation, and AI becomes less a force shaping their future and instead something they can question, shape, and create on their own.”
Over the next year, OpenAI and CodeAI will focus on practical programs that help students understand AI, use it with care, and explore how it can support learning and creativity.
- Creating a continuous feedback loop for responsible AI innovation. OpenAI and CodeAI will establish a joint advisory council that will bring together experts and leaders on child development, youth public policy, and learning science. The council will provide ongoing guidance on emerging risks, responsible AI practices, and evolving educational needs, helping to shape the future development of ChatGPT for Teens.
- Helping students build foundational AI literacy. Through the Hour of AI(opens in a new window), OpenAI and CodeAI will introduce millions of students to the basics of using AI thoughtfully and responsibly.
- Inspiring the next generation of builders. Through the first-ever Builders Challenge, high school students will have the opportunity to create with AI, receive mentorship from OpenAI team members, and showcase their work on a national stage alongside the teachers who support them.
- Supporting classroom learning. OpenAI’s experts in AI systems, safety, and responsible use will be a resource that CodeAI can consult as they further develop AI Foundations(opens in a new window), CodeAI’s free, year-long high school course.
- Making careers with AI more accessible. Through Career Journeys, students will hear directly from OpenAI researchers, engineers, and leaders about how they work with AI to shape it, helping them see themselves as future builders, creators, and innovators.
Preparing young people for a world shaped by AI is a shared responsibility. Technology companies cannot do it alone. Parents, educators, students, researchers, policymakers, and civil-society organizations all have an important role to play.
Through this partnership, OpenAI and CodeAI will help more young people approach AI with curiosity and confidence—but also with judgment. We want students to learn how to create with these tools without accepting every answer at face value, and to understand that AI should support—not replace—the guidance of teachers, families, and other trusted people in their lives. That is how we can help the next generation become not only capable users of AI, but thoughtful participants in shaping its future.