OpenAI announced a collaboration with the American Psychological Association (APA) to bring psychological science into the development of responsible AI practices for young people. The APA, a leading scientific and professional organization for psychology in the United States, will work with OpenAI to clarify what is known, identify uncertainties, and help define what responsible AI should look like as the technology evolves.
Why this matters now
Young people already use AI for learning, creativity, asking questions, and seeking advice. As those interactions increase, families, schools, clinicians, and communities need clearer evidence, better resources, and stronger safeguards to support healthy and safe use.
Planned focus areas of the partnership
- Applying psychological evidence: APA researchers and experts will help interpret existing evidence, highlight gaps, and recommend principles for responsible AI use among young people.
- Family-facing guidance: an early priority is to develop practical tools for parents and caregivers to navigate AI use at home, recognize when adult intervention may be needed, and reinforce that AI is a tool rather than a replacement for people or care. OpenAI intends to make this guidance broadly accessible across school communities.
- Support for practitioners: materials for clinicians and school psychologists are planned to promote healthy AI use, spot overreliance, and intervene in unhealthy usage patterns.
- Ongoing convenings: the collaboration will continue to bring together leaders from healthcare, education, research, policy, technology, and youth advocacy to translate lessons into practical guidance.
Centering lived experience
OpenAI emphasizes that guidance must be shaped by those with lived experience rather than assumptions. Together with the APA, they will convene teens, families, clinicians, and school psychologists to better understand how young people are using AI, how AI-related questions appear in schools, therapy, and family settings, where current systems fall short, and where AI can responsibly help with access, education, or navigation.
How this builds on OpenAI’s existing work
The partnership builds on OpenAI’s efforts to improve ChatGPT’s responses in sensitive moments and to better support younger users. OpenAI says it works with more than 260 mental health experts to help ChatGPT more reliably recognize signs of distress, respond with care, and guide people toward real-world support. OpenAI has also expanded access to localized crisis resources and one-click hotlines, added reminders to take breaks, and introduced additional protections for younger users such as parental controls, notifying parents of safety concerns, 18-and-under principles in its Model Spec, and an age-prediction model to apply appropriate experiences and safeguards.
Why this initiative matters
While AI can help young people find information and navigate systems earlier, their wellbeing still depends on strong human relationships and trustworthy support. OpenAI says it is working with the APA and a broad set of researchers, clinicians, and educators to ensure AI supports young people and the adults who care for and guide them without replacing essential human care.
Summary
The OpenAI–APA collaboration aims to produce science-based resources and safeguards for young people’s AI use, focusing on family guidance, practitioner support, and stakeholder convenings. The effort complements OpenAI’s existing safety measures and seeks to ground future policies in research and lived experience.
