OpenAI targets households as Gen AI faces a safety crisis

openai is hiring for a dedicated family product role in san francisco to target households, caregivers, and older adults, moving beyond its original focus on individual productivity. data from sensor tower indicates that chatgpt's audience is maturing, with users aged 35 and older growing to 31% globally, while us parent usage increased from 16% to 24% year-over-year. the pivot comes amidst rising safety concerns, as the family online safety institute reports parents underestimate their children's ai use, and openai faces lawsuits alleging chatgpt contributed to harm, including suicide. the company has previously responded with safety measures like teen parental controls and trusted contacts, but experts warn ai companies need 'safety by redesign' to avoid repeating social media's mistakes regarding child safety.