Subject: A Proposal for an Emergency Response and Real-World Assistance System in ChatGPT Dear OpenAI Team, I would like to propose a feature that I believe could significantly improve user safety and potentially save lives: an integrated Emergency Resp

ChatGPT Feature requests
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Dear OpenAI Team,

I would like to propose a feature that could meaningfully improve user safety and, in some cases, save lives: an integrated Emergency Response system inside ChatGPT.

As AI assistants become more trusted, people increasingly turn to ChatGPT during moments of panic, medical emergencies, psychological distress, accidents, overdoses, or situations where they are completely alone and unable to reach help quickly. In those moments, text guidance can help — but it is not always enough.

I believe ChatGPT should eventually be able, with the user’s explicit consent and strong safeguards, to help connect users to real-world emergency resources.

Proposed Features

1. Emergency Mode

A dedicated emergency button inside the ChatGPT interface, manually activated by the user or suggested automatically when severe risk indicators are detected.

2. Emergency Services Integration

Direct connection to local emergency services when technically and legally feasible, with automatic identification of the user’s country and the correct emergency number.

3. Trusted Contact System

Users could pre-register trusted contacts, and in emergencies ChatGPT could help notify them with the user’s consent.

4. Location Sharing

Optional, consent-based location sharing during emergencies, especially useful when the user cannot clearly communicate where they are.

5. Crisis Detection

Improved detection of high-risk situations such as:

Drug overdose or poisoning

Medical emergencies

Self-harm risk

Severe psychological distress

Violence or immediate physical danger

6. Accessibility Support

Special emergency workflows for users who are unable to move, speak, type, or communicate effectively, including large controls and simplified interaction modes.

Why This Matters

I recently considered a scenario where a person is alone in a locked room after a serious overdose. That person may be unable to walk, call emergency services, or contact family members. In such a situation, ChatGPT may be the only available source of immediate assistance.

Today, the assistant can provide instructions and encourage the user to seek help. However, there is still a major gap between advice and real-world intervention.

Bridging that gap responsibly, with strong privacy protections and explicit user consent, could transform ChatGPT from a source of information into a genuine emergency-support tool.

Global Importance

This feature would be especially valuable in regions where immediate access to assistance is difficult, including developing countries and underserved communities. It should support multiple languages, including Arabic, and work across different emergency-service systems worldwide.

I understand that such a feature would involve serious legal, ethical, privacy, and technical challenges. Still, I believe it is worth exploring because of its potential to save lives and provide critical support in moments of extreme vulnerability.

Thank you for your time, your work, and your commitment to building AI that benefits humanity.

Sincerely,

Mohammad Yasser

Egypt

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Welcome to the Community and thanks for laying this out so clearly, @Yass70. The gap between giving advice and connecting someone to real-world help is an important one, especially in overdose, self-harm, violence, or accessibility scenarios.

A few parts are already supported in a more limited form. ChatGPT can show localized crisis-helpline resources when its systems detect content that may relate to mental or emotional distress. Eligible adults with personal ChatGPT accounts can also add one Trusted Contact, who may be notified after automated monitoring and review by trained humans when a conversation involving suicide indicates a serious safety concern.

For linked teen accounts, ChatGPT may send limited safety notifications to a parent or guardian concerning serious self-harm, or when the teen’s account is banned for conversations relating to acts of violence. These features are primarily focused on mental-health and serious self-harm concerns and are not substitutes for professional care or emergency services.

Direct emergency-service dispatch, emergency location sharing with responders, and a broader Emergency Mode for medical emergencies, overdoses, accidents, or violence are not currently documented as available.

I’m sending your wider proposal to the team for logging, including multilingual support, consent-based location sharing, trusted-contact expansion, and accessible emergency controls.

-Mark G.