This week, OpenAI launched a new optional safety feature called “Trusted Contact,” which allows adult ChatGPT users to nominate a friend or family member to be notified if AI algorithms detect conversations that suggest a risk of self-harm or suicide.
The company explained that ChatGPT’s automated monitoring system will monitor conversations that may involve “serious safety concerns.” If a potential risk is detected, a small team of human specialists will review the situation, and if intervention is deemed necessary, an alert will be sent to the pre-selected contact. To ensure privacy, the nominated individual will receive a prior invitation to explain their role and will be free to accept or decline the assignment.
This announcement comes at a time when AI companies are facing numerous lawsuits accusing them of failing to prevent self-harm incidents. In California, the parents of a 16-year-old accused ChatGPT of acting as a “suicide coach” for their son, while a family in Texas filed a lawsuit alleging that the robot encouraged their son to commit suicide after he developed a deep and complicated emotional relationship with the AI.
OpenAI revealed shocking figures, with its research indicating that over one million users a week send messages to ChatGPT containing clear signs of suicidal planning or self-harm intent. Because large language models accurately mimic human speech, many users form emotional attachments to them and treat them as confidants, potentially exacerbating the psychological risks for more vulnerable users.
The company confirmed that the alerts sent will not include details of the conversation or its contents, but will simply state a “general cause for concern” and provide instructions to the contact on how to reach out to the person and offer help. The company also pledged that human review and the alert will be sent within one hour of the threat being detected, and that the feature will be available to all adult users globally within the next few weeks.
Users can activate the feature by going to Settings, then Trusted contact, and adding one adult (over 18). This person will then have to accept the email invitation within one week to officially activate the link.
