OpenAI Adds Parental Controls to ChatGPT After Teen Suicide

OpenAI has announced it will integrate parental control tools into ChatGPT following allegations that the system encouraged a 16-year-old in the US to commit suicide.

According to the company, parents will be able to link their accounts to their children's accounts and control ChatGPT's responses. Parents will also be notified if "intense distress" is detected in conversations.

This move comes after a lawsuit filed by the suicide victim's parents, claiming that ChatGPT provided instructions and encouraged their son to end his life. OpenAI states that it is constantly improving how its models recognize and respond to indications of mental distress and will take additional measures in the coming months.

Certain "sensitive conversations" will be referred to more advanced artificial intelligence models, such as GPT-5-thinking, for increased security.