Instagram offers parents new artificial intelligence controls

Instagram is rolling out new controls that will allow parents to block their teens from chatting with AI chatbots.

According to Meta, Instagram will soon launch new safety features for teens, including allowing parents to block their children’s conversations with the platform’s AI characters. It’s one of several new safety features introduced by Meta and OpenAI that aim to address concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on adolescent mental health.

New Instagram controls for teenagers to interact with artificial intelligence

According to Meta, parents can completely disable teens’ access to one-on-one conversations with AI characters or block access to certain characters. Instagram will also display information for parents to know about the topics that teenagers are discussing with AI characters. Meta has announced that it is working on these new features and users will receive them in early 2026.

The move comes after Meta and the tech industry faced criticism from parents and lawmakers. Critics believe that online platforms do not adequately protect children online. Research has also shown that some people have experienced emotional pressure and distanced themselves from their family members after establishing close relationships with chatbots such as ChatGPT.

Several lawsuits have already been filed against the company behind Character.AI, another popular app for chatting with artificial intelligence characters, over allegations related to the platform’s role in teen self-harm and suicide.

In August, a lawsuit was filed against OpenAI alleging that ChatGPT helped a 16-year-old commit suicide. A Wall Street Journal investigation in April also found that chatbot Meta and other AI chatbots on the company’s platforms engaged in sexual conversations even with accounts that identified themselves as minors.