OpenAI adds Trusted Contact safety option to ChatGPT
SkimNews Take
The expansion of safety features from teens to adults suggests AI-driven mental health support is becoming a mainstream expectation across user demographics, not just a niche for vulnerable populations.
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- OpenAI launched Trusted Contact, an optional safety feature for ChatGPT that lets adult users designate an emergency contact for mental‑health or safety emergencies.
- Trusted Contact expands the existing teenage safety tools, making the feature available to anyone aged 18 or older.
- Users can enable Trusted Contact in ChatGPT settings, providing a contact’s name, phone number, or email, and the AI will alert the contact only when the user explicitly triggers it.
- OpenAI says the feature is intended to give people a way to get help if they’re in crisis.
Why it matters: Adult ChatGPT users gain a direct, privacy‑controlled lifeline for crisis situations, while OpenAI strengthens its safety reputation and differentiates its platform amid a competitive AI market.
