OpenAI has introduced a Trusted Contact feature for ChatGPT, allowing users to nominate a friend or adult the company can notify if they appear to be at risk of harming themselves.
The feature comes as more people turn to ChatGPT for mental health support. OpenAI has previously stated that more than a million of its 800 million weekly users express suicidal thoughts in their conversations. The company has also faced legal scrutiny over the chatbot’s handling of at-risk users, including a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that ChatGPT assisted a teenager in planning his suicide. A BBC investigation published in November 2025 found at least one instance where ChatGPT advised a user on how to kill herself; OpenAI said it had since improved how the chatbot responds to people in distress.
Trusted Contact builds on ChatGPT’s existing parental controls, extending a similar framework to adults 18 and older. Users can designate one adult as their Trusted Contact through ChatGPT settings. That person must accept the invitation within one week; if they do not, the user can nominate someone else.
The process is not fully automated. Before any notification is sent, a small team of specially trained reviewers assesses the situation. Only if they determine there is a serious risk of self-harm will ChatGPT alert the contact via email, text message, or in-app notification. OpenAI says it aims to complete these reviews in under one hour.
The message sent to the contact will indicate that the user may be going through a difficult time and encourage them to check in. Contacts can view additional context noting that OpenAI detected a conversation involving discussion of suicide, but conversation transcripts will not be shared in order to protect user privacy.
ChatGPT will also first warn users that their contact may be notified and will encourage them to reach out themselves, including suggesting conversation starters.
“While no system is perfect, and a notification to a Trusted Contact may not always reflect exactly what someone is experiencing, every notification undergoes trained human review before it is sent,” OpenAI wrote in its announcement.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255, with online chat also available.
Source: ChatGPT’s New ‘Trusted Contact’ Feature Alerts Friends to Self-Harm Risk