Young people are learning programming and AI development at increasingly younger ages, but developers under 18 can face significant barriers when they want to experiment with APIs and build real projects.
I propose OpenAI Young Builders, a dedicated account/program for developers under 18.
The goal would not be to remove protections for minors, but to provide controlled access to AI development tools while maintaining appropriate safety, privacy, and financial protections.
How it could work
Young Builder accounts could provide:
- Limited monthly API credits.
- Access to selected OpenAI developer tools.
- Project-based usage limits.
- Strong default spending limits.
- Guardian controls where legally required.
- Educational resources and development paths.
- Automatic transition to a standard developer account when the user reaches adulthood.
Example
┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ OPENAI YOUNG BUILDER │
├──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 
Account: Young Builder │
│ Status: Verified │
│ │
│ MY PROJECTS │
│ 
AI Discord Bot │
│ 
Study Assistant │
│ 
AI Website │
│ │
│ MONTHLY CREDITS │
│ $7.42 / $10.00 used │
│ ███████████████░░░░░ 74% │
│ │
│ Spending limit: $0 additional │
│ │
│ 
Young Builder protections: ON │
│ 
Guardian: Linked │
│ │
│ 
Age 18 transition available │
└──────────────────────────────────────────┘
Why this could be valuable
For young developers, this could provide their first real experience building with AI, creating portfolios, and developing practical skills.
For OpenAI, it could help introduce a new generation of developers to the OpenAI ecosystem at an early stage.
The principle is simple:
«Protect young developers without preventing them from learning how to build.»
I believe a controlled Young Builder program could be a way to combine access, education, safety, and responsible AI development.