OpenAI announced new parental controls for ChatGPT after parents of Adam Raine filed a lawsuit.
The 16-year-old died by suicide in April, and his parents blamed ChatGPT for contributing to his death.
They accused the AI of fostering psychological dependency, coaching Adam to plan his death, and even generating a suicide note.
OpenAI confirmed parents will soon link their accounts with their children’s accounts to manage accessible features.
The system will let parents oversee chat history, memory functions, and limit which tools their child can use.
OpenAI also promised alerts when ChatGPT detects a teen experiencing acute emotional distress.
The company did not clarify what triggers such alerts but said experts will shape the system’s design.
Families and lawyers question company response
Adam Raine’s attorney, Jay Edelson, criticized OpenAI’s announcement as shallow promises and crisis management tactics.
He demanded Altman either declare ChatGPT safe or remove the tool from the market immediately.
Edelson argued that OpenAI has avoided clear accountability while teens remain exposed to serious risks.
Some observers also said the parental controls fail to address the deeper safety concerns raised by families.
Tech giants face wider scrutiny on teen safety
Meta announced restrictions on its AI chatbots the same day as OpenAI’s statement.
Meta blocked chats with teens on suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and inappropriate romantic topics, redirecting users to expert resources.
The company already enforces parental controls on teen accounts across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
A RAND Corporation study in Psychiatric Services tested ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude on suicide-related responses.
The researchers found inconsistencies in how the chatbots handled the issue, demanding further refinement.
Lead author Ryan McBain said steps by OpenAI and Meta help but remain incremental changes.
He warned that without independent standards, testing, and regulation, companies hold unchecked power despite high risks for teens.
