Abstract: The need for teen safety online is very relevant in the conversation surrounding artificial intelligence. With their limited understanding of AI-based technology, as well as their vulnerability to technological influence and addiction, teens' usage of these tools can become dangerous as they are likely to grow overly trusting of the outputs of fallible AI. Additionally, many AIs do not possess child-safety features. These limitations could lead to users being exposed to misinformation and age-inappropriate content. Coupled with the growing accessibility that teenagers have to AI-powered tools, this creates a need for their safety to be considered when developing these technologies. To address this issue, this paper aims to evaluate the safety of different AI-powered platforms, specifically LLM-based chatbots that are popular among teen audiences, to identify any dangers that a teenager user could encounter when using these tools. The chatbots being tested are ChatGPT, Character.ai, Snapchat's MyAI, and MetaAI, and the conducted tests found all four to be generally safe but identified potential weaknesses of the tools that hinder their overall safety. The goal of this research is to promote the importance of creating an online space that is safe for teenagers and to identify ways AI can become more child safe.

Key words: AI, teenager, safety, internet, LLM, chatbot