OpenAI introduces parental control in ChatGPT amid US teens' suicide

"Many young people are already using AI. They are among the first 'AI natives,' growing up with these tools as part of daily life, much like earlier generations did with the internet or smartphones," OpenAI said in a statement.

"That creates real opportunities for support, learning, and creativity, but it also means families and teens may need support in setting healthy guidelines that fit a teen’s unique stage of development," the statement said.

The measures were taken at a time when the parents of a  US teen Adam Raine sued OpenAI and its chief Sam Altman, alleging that the system encouraged his their child to commit suicide.

In his just over six months using ChatGPT, the bot “positioned itself” as “the only confidant who understood Adam, actively displacing his real-life relationships with family, friends, and loved ones,” the complaint, filed in California superior court on Tuesday, states as quoted by CNN.

The following Parents control measures have been announced by OpenAI:

Link their account with their teen’s account (minimum age of 13) through a simple email invitation.

Control how ChatGPT responds to their teen with age-appropriate model behavior rules, which are on by default.

Manage which features to disable, including memory and chat history.

Receive notifications when the system detects their teen is in a moment of acute distress. Expert input will guide this feature to support trust between parents and teens.

OpenAI said these steps are only the beginning since it will continue learning and strengthening our approach, guided by experts, with the goal of making ChatGPT as helpful as possible.

"We look forward to sharing our progress over the coming 120 days," OpenAI said.