OpenAI and the American Psychological Association (APA) announced a partnership on August 6, 2026, to enhance responsible AI development and use among young people. The collaboration aims to integrate psychological science into AI practices to ensure they support youth well-being. The partnership follows a productive convening earlier this year with mental health leaders, researchers, and youth representatives, which identified gaps in support and opportunities for AI to help young people access resources.
The initiative will focus on several areas, including how AI can support youth in moments of distress, how it can be designed to be more developmentally appropriate, and how parents, caregivers, and clinicians can guide AI use. OpenAI and APA plan to develop family-facing resources to help parents support healthy AI use, recognize when intervention is needed, and reinforce AI as a tool, not a replacement for care. They also intend to provide clinicians with guidance on promoting healthy AI use and recognizing overreliance.
OpenAI’s efforts include working with over 260 mental health experts to improve ChatGPT’s responses to distress signals and guide users toward real-world support. The company has expanded access to crisis resources, added break reminders, and introduced protections for younger users, including parental controls and age-prediction models. These efforts build on OpenAI’s broader safety work to ensure AI supports young people and those who care for them.
Source: openai
