Hobnob News — OpenAI has announced plans to introduce parental controls on ChatGPT within the next month, amid growing concerns about the chatbot’s potential links to cases of self-harm among teenagers.
According to the company, the new feature will allow parents to connect their accounts with their children’s, restrict functions such as memory and chat history, manage how the chatbot responds, and receive alerts if signs of “acute distress” are detected during conversations.
“These steps are only the beginning. We will continue learning and strengthening our approach, guided by experts, with the goal of making ChatGPT as helpful as possible,” OpenAI said in a blog post on Tuesday.
The announcement follows a lawsuit filed by the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who accused ChatGPT of contributing to their son’s suicide. Similar lawsuits have previously been filed against other chatbot platforms, including Character.AI, over claims of harmful advice to minors.
Although OpenAI did not directly link the upcoming parental controls to these incidents, the company admitted that “recent heartbreaking events” influenced its decision to reinforce safety measures.
OpenAI noted that while ChatGPT already includes safeguards — such as directing users to crisis helplines and other real-world resources — these protections are most effective in short exchanges but can weaken during prolonged conversations.
“We will continually improve on them, guided by experts,” the company added.
