OpenAI has partnered with the American Psychological Association to create evidence-based guidelines and safeguards for young users, aiming to promote healthy development amid growing AI adoption among adolescents.
OpenAI has teamed up with the American Psychological Association to build new safeguards for young people using artificial intelligence, a move that reflects growing concern about how chatbots and other AI tools may affect adolescent mental health and development. According to the two organisations, the work will focus on evidence-based guidance, resources and design standards intended to help AI support rather than weaken healthy growth.
The APA said the collaboration is meant to bring psychological science and clinical expertise into how AI products are shaped and deployed for younger users. OpenAI said the partnership is aimed at grounding practical safety measures in scientific evidence, with the company’s mental health and well-being product policy lead stressing that technology should reinforce real-world relationships and care, not replace them.
The initiative will concentrate on three areas: helping parents and caregivers understand how to manage AI use at home, giving clinicians and school psychologists tools to spot overreliance or unhealthy patterns, and bringing teenagers, families and educators into the discussion so the companies can identify gaps in support. The goal is to determine where AI can be helpful, such as with information or system navigation, and where human intervention remains essential.
The partnership builds on OpenAI’s existing safety measures, including work with more than 260 mental health experts, expanded crisis resources, one-click hotlines, break reminders, parental controls and age-related safeguards for users under 18. The companies are presenting the effort as a broader attempt to set responsible design standards at a time when young people are increasingly turning to AI for learning, creativity and advice during formative years.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
