OpenAI increases investment in mental health and online safety research

OpenAI has introduced a new grant programme, further deepening its focus on the link between artificial intelligence (AI) and mental health. 

The move comes just days after rising concerns about how young users interact with AI tools, pushing OpenAI to expand its safety commitments.

The initiative aims to support independent research into how people express distress, how AI interprets emotional signals and how cultural nuances shape sensitive conversations online. 

According to OpenAI, the goal is to create better evaluation frameworks and ethically developed datasets that strengthen mental health protections across digital systems.

The programme encourages collaboration between technical experts, clinicians and individuals with lived experience, ensuring that research captures real-world complexity instead of relying solely on internal studies. 

Projects may explore slang used in distressed communities, patterns of emotional expression among young people or the challenges posed when mental health symptoms appear in forms current AI models struggle to recognise.

Moreover, another key focus includes examining how care providers use AI tools, identifying where the technology proves helpful and where risks emerge for vulnerable users. 

OpenAI believes broader participation can lead to safer, more culturally aware systems that respond responsibly to grief, body-image concerns and other sensitive issues.