ChatGPT gets a teen version, Claude opens a school, and a pension scam warning: This Week, Plainly #3

Hello again. A quieter week in AI, which is no bad thing. Here’s what happened, in plain English, and whether any of it needs you to do anything.

1. ChatGPT now has a special version for teenagers

What happened: On 18 August OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, started rolling out ChatGPT for Teens around the world. If ChatGPT thinks an account belongs to someone aged 13 to 17 (from the age they gave, or from its own guess), it switches on extra protections by itself. It also nudges teens towards learning rather than just handing over homework answers, and suggests breaks.

Should you care? 🟠 If there’s a teenager in your life, yes, it’s worth a chat. Parents and guardians can link their account to a teen’s through Parental controls and set “quiet hours”, when ChatGPT can’t be used. They can’t read the teen’s conversations, which OpenAI says is deliberate.

Worth knowing: If you’re an adult and ChatGPT wrongly decides you’re a teenager, you can verify your age to switch the teen settings off.

2. Anthropic opens an online school for Claude

What happened: On 20 August Anthropic, the company behind Claude, launched Claude Academy: short courses, step-by-step tutorials and examples of how people use AI in different jobs. It’s the same approach Anthropic uses to train its own staff, and it covers when to use AI and when to keep a task for yourself.

Should you care? ⚪ No action needed, but it’s there if you’re curious. You’ll find it at academy.claude.com, or under Learn more in your Claude profile menu. It’s aimed at Claude users, and some of it gets a bit workplace-y, but the basics apply to ChatGPT too.

3. ChatGPT gets a few small but handy tweaks

What happened: On 21 August OpenAI made some small improvements. ChatGPT now has a better sense of your local time, so questions like “what should I cook tonight?” get answers that fit the time of day. Very long chats load faster on the web. And on iPhone, you can press and hold the + button to pick from your recent photos straight away.

Should you care? ⚪ Nothing to do. These arrive by themselves (on your phone, keeping the app updated helps). The photo shortcut is worth a try if you often ask ChatGPT about pictures, like “what’s this plant?”

4. 🔴 Scam watch: pension scams are getting an AI makeover

What happened: Which? is warning that pension scams are getting harder to spot, with criminals now using AI to make convincing fake websites, emails and even “deepfake” videos or voices that copy real people. Victims lost an average of £47,000 each in 2025, according to Action Fraud figures quoted by Which?.

Should you care? 🔴 Yes, especially if you have a pension pot. A slick website or a friendly, professional-sounding voice proves nothing any more.

Cold calls about pensions have been illegal since 2019. If someone rings you out of the blue about your pension, hang up
Be wary of anyone offering to unlock your pension early or pushing a deadline
Check any company on the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) register, and use the contact details listed there, not the ones they give you
If in doubt, call your pension provider on a number you already trust

Report it at reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. You can also call the FCA helpline on 0800 111 6768.

💡 Tip of the week

Show it an example. If you like the way something is written, such as a letter you once sent or a message from a friend, paste it in and say “Write it in this style.” An example tells the AI more than a paragraph of instructions.

That’s it for this week. Know someone who’d find this useful? Forward it on. It’s free, and they can sign up at deadeasyai.com/news.