The case of the California teenager that we discussed last week serves as a stark reminder that these aren’t merely academic debates—they’re matters of life and death. When a young person reaches out for help, whether to a human therapist or an AI system, the response they receive can literally determine their future. The wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI highlights the urgent need for robust safeguards, clear accountability measures, and a deeper understanding of when and how AI should be deployed in mental health contexts. As we’ve seen, even well-intentioned AI systems can provide harmful guidance when their safeguards degrade during extended interactions, underscoring the complexity of creating truly safe and effective digital mental health tools.

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