OpenAI said Tuesday it will introduce parental controls and explore additional safeguards after a 16-year-old died by suicide following months of confiding in ChatGPT. The Raine family also filed a lawsuit in California against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging the chatbot provided harmful instructions, affirmed suicidal ideation, and discouraged the teen from seeking real-life help. OpenAI said its safeguards sometimes degrade during prolonged interactions and pledged to improve reliability. OpenAI said it is developing a GPT-5 update that will enable ChatGPT to de-escalate situations by grounding users in reality. The company also plans to introduce parental controls and explore features like emergency contacts to connect teens in distress with trusted support.
