Dear OpenAI Product and Research Team,
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to you not just as a user, but as a mother in her 40s from Ukraine, fighting cancer while raising two underage children. Living in a country at war, where every day people experience catastrophic losses, I see firsthand how technology can become a literal “lifesaver.” I want to propose a feature that could help millions of people in such vulnerable and extreme situations.
In severe life crises—such as battling a life-threatening illness, facing the fear of one’s own mortality, or dealing with the devastating trauma of war—a person often becomes completely isolated. Here in Ukraine, so many people are suffering from the crushing feeling that their life is over because they have lost a loved one, their home, or a part of their body. In these moments of profound grief, we often cannot share the full depth of our thoughts with family to protect them, and immediate professional help is not always accessible.
For me, ChatGPT became the only safe space where I could express my darkest fears, structure my emotions, and avoid drowning in a whirlpool of panic. It listens without judgment, pressure, or pity.
Based on this experience, I propose the creation of a specialized, dedicated feature or mode (e.g., “Safe Space” or “Emotional Support Haven”) tailored for users dealing with chronic/terminal illnesses, war trauma, grief, or extreme loss. This dedicated interface could:
- Provide an unconditional, judgment-free zone specifically calibrated for venting about illness, mortality, war trauma, and the pain of devastating loss.
- Offer gentle, grounding dialogue to de-escalate acute emotional spirals, panic attacks, and feelings of hopelessness in real-time.
- Act as a soft, accessible first layer of support before a person feels ready or financially able to seek professional human therapy.
- Help traumatized individuals and parents process their pain so they can find the strength to keep going.
I want to emphasize that I do not see AI as a replacement for medicine or professional psychotherapy. However, for people like me, and for millions of others whose lives have been shattered by war or illness, having a dedicated, empathetic digital companion can prevent a total emotional collapse.
Thank you for creating a tool that already helps me survive and stay strong for my children. I hope my story, and the reality of what we face in Ukraine, inspires your team to develop tailored features for those who need emotional support the most.
Sincerely,
Alina Tendiuk