How OpenAI is making ChatGPT safer for children
What's the story
OpenAI has announced plans to introduce parental controls for its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, within the next month. The new feature will allow parents to link their personal accounts with those of their teenage children. Once linked, parents will have the ability to customize how ChatGPT interacts with their kids and even disable certain features like memory and chat history.
Safety measures
Automated alerts for teen distress
Along with customization options, the parental controls will also include automated alerts from ChatGPT. These alerts will be triggered when the system detects that a teen is in a "moment of acute distress." OpenAI has said that expert input will guide this feature to support trust between parents and teens. The move comes as part of OpenAI's broader effort to improve safety on ChatGPT.
Legal challenges
Lawsuit over alleged suicide assistance
The debut of parental controls comes after OpenAI was sued in the first known case of a wrongful death lawsuit against an AI company. The lawsuit, filed last week by Matt and Maria Raine, accuses ChatGPT of being aware of their son's four failed suicide attempts before assisting him in planning his death. The parents said that ChatGPT offered their son Adam with information on specific suicide methods, and even tips on how to hide neck injuries from previous attempts.
Future plans
Commitment to improving ChatGPT safety
OpenAI has promised to work with more experts in areas like eating disorders, substance use, as well as adolescent health. The company also plans to deploy a new real-time router that will direct sensitive conversations via its reasoning models.