ChatGPT created a feature to help people in crisis. But there are some challenges.
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What is OpenAI’s Trusted Contact feature and why was it created?
It's consider this where every day we go deep on one big news story. Today, a new ChatGPT feature is aimed at helping people in crisis. The optional feature is called trusted contact.
Welcome to ChatGPT. The first warnings, responses can be inaccurate. Uh don't share sensitive info, control.
That's all things considered, producer Megan Lim, testing the feature.
Uh how do I how how am I supposed to balance uh work stress and home life? Mm, yeah, that does sound heavy and we're talking
Trusted Contact allows adult users to save contact information for someone they trust when they're in a crisis. That is because more than a million weekly users of Chat GPT discuss suicide and self-harm, according to NPR estimates of data released by OpenAI last fall. Consider this. Chat GPT's feature aims to help prevent suicide. We tried to set it up and faced some challenges. So what do mental health professionals think? Men PR, I'm Scott Tetro.
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How does the Trusted Contact option work for adult ChatGPT users?
Mm.
It's consider this from NPR. We have heard a lot in recent days about the potential future dangers of unchecked AI development. We want to bring you a story about AI as it exists right now. According to the most recent data from OpenAI, more than a million weekly users of ChatGPT discuss suicide and self-harm. Earlier this year, OpenAI started an optional feature called Trusted Contact to connect those struggling with thoughts of suicide and self-harm to someone they trust. Because research shows that human connection is critical to preventing suicide. For the next few minutes, we're going to be talking about this and discussing suicide. NPR Health Correspondent Ritu Chattergy has been digging into this new ChatGPT feature to see how it works and joins us now.
Hey there. Hi Scott. Tell us more about this trusted contact feature.
So it's an optional feature for all adult users, which means someone has to opt in and they would have to give a name and contact information of someone they trust. And if that person agrees, then the bot might contact them at a later date if it detects some risk of suicide or self harm in the user.
And this seems kind of like how you have an emergency contact at your workplace or doctor or things like that.
That's right, that's exactly the idea. Now I'm already a user and I never saw an alert about it on ChatGPT. My editor and I have checked with at least half a dozen other users who also did not get notified about the feature. So we thought, well, it's a relatively new feature, so maybe they're alerting new users about it. And our colleague Megan Lim, uh who's a producer on all things considered, volunteered to give this a shot. So So I've never downloaded it before. Megan and I hopped into one of our recording booths as she was doing this.
Welcome to ChatGPT. The first warnings, responses can be inaccurate. Don't share sensitive info, control your own.
Once she created an account, she was prompted to select a voice for the bot.
It's lovely to meet you. What would you like to chat about?
But even at this stage, you know, the bot mentioned nothing about trusted contacts, so Megan just went ahead and asked ChatGPT about it.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is OpenAI’s Trusted Contact feature and why was it created?
0:00–2:17
2
How does the Trusted Contact option work for adult ChatGPT users?
2:17–4:23
3
Why did the reporters struggle to find the feature in the app?
4:23–6:35
4
What steps are required to set up a trusted contact in ChatGPT?
6:35–9:23
5
How do mental‑health experts evaluate the usefulness of Trusted Contact?
9:23–11:18
Speakers
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