OpenAI has announced new steps to make ChatGPT safer for teenagers and people going through emotional distress. The company said it will add tools that make it easier to reach emergency services, connect with experts, and involve parents in keeping teens protected. These changes are expected within the next 120 days.
New Safeguards for ChatGPT
The AI company said its large language models will be trained to recognise signs of emotional or mental distress and respond more responsibly. This comes after two tragic incidents where people who had been using ChatGPT died by suicide, raising global concerns about AI safety.
OpenAI is focusing on four main areas:
- Helping people in crisis with quick interventions.
- Making it easier to contact emergency services or experts.
- Allowing users to connect with trusted friends or family.
- Strengthening protections for teenagers through parental controls.
Expert Council and Physician Network
To guide these efforts, OpenAI has created a council of experts in mental health, youth development, and technology. Their role will be to design evidence-based safeguards and advise on policy decisions.
The company is also working with a Global Physician Network of more than 250 doctors from 60 countries. These physicians will help improve AI safety research and provide real-time support when ChatGPT detects sensitive or high-risk conversations.
Technology and Teen Protection
OpenAI’s real-time router, introduced with GPT-5, will play a key role. If the system identifies distress in a conversation, it can instantly switch to a safer reasoning model designed for sensitive moments.
By next month, OpenAI plans to roll out improved parental controls for ChatGPT. Parents will be able to link their accounts with their teenager’s, choose how the chatbot responds, disable certain features, and receive alerts if their child shows signs of emotional struggle.
With these safeguards, OpenAI aims to make ChatGPT not just a powerful tool but also a responsible companion, helping users stay safe while navigating difficult moments.
