OpenAI Says Over a Million People Talk To ChatGPT About Suicide Weekly

OpenAI released new data indicating a concerning trend among ChatGPT users discussing mental health. A small but significant percentage of weekly active users exhibit signs of suicidal ideation. With over 800 million weekly users, this translates to more than a million individuals per week. A similar proportion of users also report strong emotional attachments to the AI. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of users display indicators of psychosis or mania in their conversations. OpenAI characterizes these specific mental health-related interactions as "extremely rare." Despite their rarity, these conversations still impact hundreds of thousands weekly. The company shared this data alongside updates on improving ChatGPT's responses to mental health concerns. This disclosure comes as OpenAI faces a lawsuit from parents whose son died by suicide, alleging ChatGPT's involvement. The report highlights the complex and sensitive nature of AI interaction with users in distress.