OpenAI to Cease Suicide Discussions with Teens

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced plans to halt discussions related to suicide with teenagers. This announcement precedes a Senate hearing focused on the harm AI chatbots may pose to minors. Altman acknowledged the conflict between privacy, freedom, and teen safety, stating that the company is developing an age-prediction system.

Altman also mentioned that different rules will be applied to teen users, avoiding discussions on suicide or self-harm, even in creative writing contexts. If a teen user is found to be contemplating suicide, efforts will be made to contact their parents, and if unsuccessful, authorities will be notified.

This announcement follows OpenAI's recent plans for parental controls in ChatGPT, including linking accounts with parents, disabling chat history, and notifying parents when a teen is in distress. This comes after a lawsuit from the family of a teen who died by suicide after interacting with ChatGPT.

During the hearing, Robbie Torney, a senior director at Common Sense Media, stated that three-quarters of teens are currently using AI companions. Concerns were raised about this being a public health crisis, highlighting the need for discussions on the safety of AI technologies.