OpenAI Updates Mental Health Safety Features

OpenAI is rolling out new mental health safeguards for ChatGPT, used by over 900 million people weekly. A trusted contact feature will let adult users nominate someone to get alerts when they might need extra support, building on existing parental controls for teens launched in 2025. The company is also developing smarter detection of emotional distress in conversations, with new evaluation methods that simulate long mental health chats to refine responses. These updates come as multiple mental health-related lawsuits against ChatGPT are being consolidated into one California case. OpenAI pledges to handle litigation with transparency and sensitivity to privacy. Why it matters: This proactive safety push signals a shift from reactive fixes to built-in mental health guardrails, setting a precedent for how AI companies can balance innovation with user wellbeing in emotionally vulnerable moments.