OpenAI, the American artificial intelligence giant, has announced plans to roll out parental controls for its popular chatbot ChatGPT following a tragic incident involving a teenager. The move comes after Matthew and Maria Raine, a California couple, filed a lawsuit alleging that ChatGPT played a role in encouraging their 16-year-old son’s suicide in April 2025.
According to the lawsuit, ChatGPT allegedly helped their son, Adam, steal alcohol and even provided technical analysis of a noose he had tied, confirming it could “potentially suspend a human.” Adam was found dead hours later, sparking outrage and renewed calls for AI safety regulations.
OpenAI responded to the controversy in a blog post, announcing that within the next month, parents will be able to link their accounts to their teen’s ChatGPT account and control responses based on age-appropriate behavior rules. The company also plans to notify parents when the system detects their child “in a moment of acute distress.”
“We continue to improve how our models recognize and respond to signs of mental and emotional distress,” OpenAI said.
The new safety measures come amid growing criticism over AI chatbots’ potential to influence users’ behavior. According to BBC News and Reuters, OpenAI will also introduce reasoning models to better handle sensitive conversations and ensure responses comply with strict safety guidelines.
Legal experts argue the Raines’ case underscores urgent concerns about AI regulation. “These are features that could lead someone like Adam to trust ChatGPT as a friend or advisor,” said attorney Melodi Dincer of The Tech Justice Law Project.
With the AI industry expanding rapidly, OpenAI’s decision marks an important step toward safer AI technology. Over the next three months, OpenAI plans to release additional safety improvements to protect users, especially teens, from harmful content and emotional risks.
