OpenAI Rolls Out Trusted Contact Suicide-Safety Feature for ChatGPT

As ChatGPT has become widely used for emotional support, AI providers’ responsibility for responses involving suicide and self-harm has drawn growing regulatory and judicial scrutiny. Several lawsuits have previously alleged links between ChatGPT and user deaths. OpenAI is therefore strengthening mechanisms that direct high-risk conversations toward real-world human support, seeking to prevent AI from becoming the sole channel for crisis response.

OpenAI began rolling out Trusted Contact on May 7, 2026, allowing individual account holders aged 18 or older to designate one adult friend or family member. The recipient must accept the invitation within one week. If an automated system flags a suspected severe suicide risk, a trained reviewer must confirm it before ChatGPT alerts the contact by email, text message or app notification. The contact will not receive the conversation content or a transcript.