OpenAI launches Trusted Contact in ChatGPT to alert a loved one when suicide risk is detected

On May 7, 2026, OpenAI began rolling out Trusted Contact in ChatGPT, a feature for adult users that lets them name a trusted person. If the system detects signs of serious risk of self-harm or suicide, it can notify the loved one the user chose in advance, so that person can reach out.

How it works

The feature is set up in a personal ChatGPT account and is available only to adults: 18 and older in most countries, and 19 and older in South Korea. A user can add only one trusted contact, via Settings > Trusted contact. An email address is required to activate it; a phone number can be added optionally. The chosen person then receives an invitation and must accept it within a week. If they decline, do not respond, or do not meet the age requirement, ChatGPT will prompt the user to choose someone else.

• One trusted contact per account
• Email is required, phone is recommended
• The invitation can arrive by email, SMS, WhatsApp or inside ChatGPT
• The feature is available only in personal accounts, not in Business, Enterprise or Edu

A two-step process follows. If automated systems decide that the user is talking about suicide or self-harm in a way that looks like a serious threat, ChatGPT first warns the user that the trusted contact may be notified. Only after that can the conversation go to review by a small team of specially trained specialists, who make the final decision. OpenAI stresses separately that no notification is sent to the contact without this warning.

What the contact sees

If the specialists confirm a serious risk, the trusted contact receives a short notification by email, SMS, WhatsApp or inside ChatGPT. The message does not include chat details, screenshots or a transcript of the conversation. OpenAI says the contact sees only the general gist: the system noticed a conversation about suicide that may point to a serious problem, and it recommends gently getting in touch with the person. The company also says it tries to handle such cases in under an hour.

There is an important caveat: the feature does not replace psychotherapy, crisis services or emergency help. The trusted contact also does not become "responsible" for the person's safety and is not obliged to act as a counselor. Their task is simpler: check in on how the person is doing, offer a sense of support and, if needed, help connect them with professional help. OpenAI states plainly that the system can make mistakes, and a notification does not always accurately reflect the user's state at a given moment.

Why OpenAI is launching this

The new feature continues OpenAI's push toward safety tools for sensitive conversations. Similar notifications previously existed in parental controls for teen accounts, and the mechanism has now been extended to adult users of personal accounts. According to the company, Trusted Contact was built with clinicians, researchers and organizations working on mental health and suicide prevention. OpenAI separately cites its network of more than 260 licensed physicians in 60 countries and its collaboration with the American Psychological Association.

"Social connection is one of the strongest protective factors during periods of emotional distress," says APA head Arthur Evans.

The company also emphasizes privacy and control. Users can remove or replace their trusted contact at any time, and the contact can decline to participate or leave later. The rollout is gradual: if the Trusted contact option is not yet in your settings or inside a ChatGPT conversation, the feature has not yet been enabled for that account.

What this means

OpenAI is taking another step from a merely smart conversational partner toward a product that intervenes in critical situations under pre-agreed rules. For the market, this is an important signal: AI services will increasingly link digital support to real people, but they will also have to balance usefulness, privacy and the risk of false positives with great care.

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