Ethics & Safety Board
Building Abby responsibly matters as much as building Abby well.
Because Abby supports people through emotionally sensitive moments, we believe this kind of product should be developed with real oversight, clear boundaries, and ongoing review — not just technical ambition. That is why we have built Abby with multiple layers of governance focused on safety, scope, and responsible development.
Our approach to oversight:
Abby is reviewed through two distinct but complementary structures:
1. Research Governance and IRB Oversight
For research, studies, and formal evaluations, we use Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes and governance structures designed to support appropriate oversight, participant protections, and responsible study design.
This helps ensure that when Abby is evaluated in research settings, the process is handled with rigor, ethics, and accountability.
2. Ethics & Safety Board
Abby is also reviewed through an Ethics & Safety Board made up of licensed therapists who advise on crisis handling, safety boundaries, and responsible product development.
This board helps us evaluate how Abby should respond in emotionally sensitive situations, how to keep the product within its intended scope, and how to strengthen the safety and integrity of the experience over time.
What the Ethics & Safety Board reviews
Our Ethics & Safety Board helps review areas including:
- crisis-related behavior and escalation approaches
- safety boundaries around sensitive conversations
- whether Abby remains within its intended non-clinical scope
- how Abby responds to high-risk or emotionally complex scenarios
- product decisions that may affect user well-being or safety
- testing and review processes designed to reduce unsafe behavior
- ongoing refinement of guardrails, escalation pathways, and interaction design
Their role is part of how we pressure-test the product as we build.
Why this matters
AI products that touch emotional health and vulnerable moments should not be built casually.
They should be built with humility about what they are, what they are not, and where strong boundaries are necessary. They should be reviewed not only for product quality, but for whether they are behaving responsibly in the kinds of situations that matter most.
For Abby, that means asking questions like:
- Is the product staying within scope?
- Are crisis scenarios handled responsibly?
- Are we creating expectations the product should not create?
- Are we designing in a way that supports users without drifting into inappropriate territory?
- Are we improving the product in a way that is thoughtful, tested, and accountable?
Abby’s intended scope
Abby is designed for everyday emotional challenges, life stress, and problems of life. Abby is not a human and is not a licensed therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. Abby is not intended to provide diagnosis, treatment, or clinical care.
Part of the role of our oversight structures is to help ensure Abby remains aligned with that intended scope as the product evolves.
Responsible development is ongoing
Safety is not something that is solved once and checked off. It requires ongoing review, iteration, and clear boundaries.
As Abby grows, we expect our governance, review processes, and safety systems to evolve with it. Our goal is not just to build something useful. It is to build something useful responsibly.