OpenAI has been on a roll since it unveiled ChatGPT to the public in late 2022. It hasn’t been all smooth sailing. The generative AI has come under a steady stream of criticism for its sycophancy, its loose attitude toward the truth, and, most worrying, its effect on mental health and even being blamed for nudging users to commit suicide.
It’s taken three years, but OpenAI is introducing mental health alerts and account linking as introductory parental controls to try to exert control over ChatGPT’s potential negative influences on young minds. Here’s a peek at what’s coming.
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Breaking Down ChatGPT’s Plan
“This work has already been underway, but we want to proactively preview our plans for the next 120 days, so you won’t need to wait for launches to see where we’re headed,” wrote OpenAI in a September 2 blog post announcing the additions.
“The work will continue well beyond this period of time, but we’re making a focused effort to launch as many of these improvements as possible this year.”
One of the more promising aspects is that OpenAI has been consulting a “council of experts” in youth development, mental health, and human-computer interaction. “The council’s role is to shape a clear, evidence-based vision for how AI can support people’s well-being and help them thrive,” says OpenAI.
ChatGPT will also make it easier for users to access the help they may need by looping itself into the Global Physician Network—a pool of more than 250 physicians in 60 countries.
Specific parental controls include linking a parent’s account with their teen’s account, as long as their kid is at least 13 years old. They can also turn on “age-appropriate model behavior rules,” disable or enable memory and chat history, and choose to receive notifications whenever ChatGPT believes their kid is in “a moment of acute distress.”
You can read the full list of planned feature implementations over the next 120 days here.
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