OpenAI and APA Begin Youth Mental Health AI Collaboration
OpenAI has announced a collaboration with the American Psychological Association (APA) focused on youth mental health and artificial intelligence. The companies intend to apply psychological science to responsible AI development and use among young people, including support for parents, caregivers, clinicians, schools and youth communities.
The APA is the leading scientific and professional organization for psychology in the United States. OpenAI said its evidence-grounded work will help distinguish established knowledge from uncertainty as AI use by young people develops.
Resources and safeguards for youth AI use
OpenAI and the APA earlier co-hosted a convening involving mental health organizations, researchers, clinicians, educators and youth representatives. Participants considered current gaps in support for young people and circumstances in which AI could responsibly help people find information or connect with real-world support.
The planned work includes family-facing resources intended to help parents and caregivers encourage healthy AI use, identify occasions when adult intervention may be appropriate, and reinforce that AI is a tool rather than a replacement for people or care. OpenAI also plans to make the guidance broadly accessible across school communities.
For practitioners, the collaboration is expected to produce material for clinicians and school psychologists on promoting healthy AI use, recognising overreliance and intervening in unhealthy patterns. OpenAI also plans continued convenings across healthcare, education, research, policy, technology and youth advocacy.
Listening to lived experience
OpenAI and the APA will convene teens, families, clinicians and school psychologists to examine how young people use AI and how related questions emerge in schools, therapy and family settings. The work will also assess where current systems fall short and where AI may responsibly assist with access, education or navigation.
OpenAI said the initiative builds on changes to ChatGPT for sensitive moments and younger users. The company works with more than 260 mental health experts to help ChatGPT recognise signs of distress, respond with care and direct people towards real-world support. It has also added localized crisis resources, one-click hotlines, break reminders, parental controls, parent notifications of safety concerns, under-18 principles in its Model Spec and an age-prediction model.
Connection to OpenAI health products
The youth programme sits alongside ChatGPT Health availability for US adults, which makes ChatGPT Health available to adult users in the United States, while keeping the present collaboration focused on protections and guidance for younger people.
For organisations deploying AI around young users, the practical implication is that product safeguards should be matched with evidence-based guidance, informed practitioners and clear pathways to human support.