OpenAI announces ChatGPT parental controls following family's lawsuit
OpenAI says it is launching parental controls for ChatGPT in the coming months.
In its latest update announcement Tuesday, OpenAI, the company that developed ChatGPT, said parents will be able to link their ChatGPT accounts with their teens' ChatGPT accounts and control how the generative AI chatbot would respond to their kids' queries and prompts -- including with "age-appropriate model behavior rules" -- as well as disable features and set up notifications specifically for when their child "is in a moment of acute distress."
The news comes after a California family sued OpenAI in August, alleging ChatGPT played a role in their 16-year-old son's death by suicide.
OpenAI said this week that its staffers will continue to partner with experts, such as psychiatrists and pediatricians, to improve the ChatGPT tool and set up models to continue to "recognize and respond to signs of mental and emotional distress."
"We are adding even more clinicians and researchers to our network, including those with deep expertise in areas like eating disorders, substance use, and adolescent health," the company added in its announcement.
OpenAI released its latest version of ChatGPT, called GPT-5, in early August and touted its latest chatbot iteration as its fastest and smartest version yet.
OpenAI said it expects to roll out the array of updates within the next four months, or 120 days.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide -- free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the national lifeline at 988.
