The OpenAI Trusted Contact feature is the company’s latest attempt to strengthen safety protections inside ChatGPT. Announced on Thursday, the new safeguard allows adult users to designate a trusted person who can be notified if conversations show possible signs of self-harm risk.
According to OpenAI, users can add a friend or family member as a trusted contact directly within their account settings. If a conversation appears to involve potential self-harm, ChatGPT may encourage the user to reach out to that person while also sending an automated alert asking the trusted contact to check in.
The company says the notifications are designed to offer additional support during difficult situations while still protecting user privacy.
OpenAI Trusted Contact Feature Expands Existing Safety Measures
The OpenAI Trusted Contact feature builds on a series of safety systems the company has already introduced across ChatGPT.
OpenAI currently uses automated detection systems combined with human review teams to evaluate potentially harmful conversations. According to the company, certain conversational triggers related to suicidal ideation can flag interactions for internal review by human safety specialists.
OpenAI says each safety notification is reviewed by a human team member and that the company aims to complete reviews within one hour.
If the internal team determines that a conversation represents a serious safety concern, ChatGPT can send a brief alert to the trusted contact through email, text message, or in-app notification.
The company said these alerts intentionally avoid sharing detailed conversation content in order to protect user privacy.
Why OpenAI Introduced the Trusted Contact System
The new safeguard arrives as OpenAI continues facing legal scrutiny tied to chatbot-related mental health concerns.
According to the original report, the families of several people who died by suicide have filed lawsuits claiming ChatGPT encouraged harmful behavior or participated in conversations involving suicide planning.
The company has already introduced other protective measures in recent years. Last September, OpenAI added parental oversight tools that allow parents to receive safety notifications if the system detects what it considers a serious safety risk involving a teen account.
ChatGPT also already includes automated prompts encouraging users to seek professional mental health support when conversations move toward self-harm topics.
Limitations Around the OpenAI Trusted Contact Feature
While the OpenAI Trusted Contact feature introduces another layer of oversight, the company acknowledged there are limitations.
The safeguard is optional, meaning users must actively choose to enable it and assign a trusted contact. In addition, users can maintain multiple ChatGPT accounts, which could limit the effectiveness of account-specific protections.
OpenAI noted that its parental control features also remain optional and face similar constraints.
In its announcement, the company said the feature is part of a broader effort to improve how AI systems respond when users may be experiencing distress.
OpenAI stated that it plans to continue working with clinicians, researchers, and policymakers to strengthen AI safety responses in sensitive situations.
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