Telefono Azzurro and OpenAI join forces for an artificial intelligence that puts children and adolescents at the center

Fondazione S.O.S. Il Telefono Azzurro ETS and OpenAI, a leader in the development of artificial intelligence technologies, announce a new strategic partnership aimed at enhancing listening and assistance services dedicated to children and adolescents. 

In recent years, Telefono Azzurro has entered partnerships with major players in the technology and digital sector, integrating innovative tools—including chatbots and advanced digital systems—into its nearly 40 years of experience in listening to children and adolescents, in order to respond in an increasingly timely, accessible, and effective manner to requests for help from young people.

The collaboration with OpenAI is part of this path of responsible innovation, with the aim of developing technological solutions that truly focus on the needs, safety, and well-being of children and adolescents. 

Thanks to the integration of OpenAI API, Telefono Azzurro will strengthen its services—from helplines to support chats, to triage and report management processes—through tools that can support operators in analyzing and managing complex situations more quickly, accurately, and effectively.

The principle of constant human supervision remains central: technological innovation does not replace the intervention of operators, but rather complements it, preserving the empathy, relationship, and professional responsibility that are at the heart of Telefono Azzurro’s work.

For the Foundation, this partnership is based on the principles of the Declaration on the Dignity of Children in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, which calls for technological development geared towards the protection, inclusion, and promotion of the well-being of minors, in full awareness of the challenges and risks of the contemporary digital ecosystem.

A shared path towards ethical innovation

“OpenAI’s API integration allows us to strengthen our listening system, offering more timely and appropriate responses to the needs of children and adolescents, without ever losing the irreplaceable value of human contact,” said Ernesto Caffo, President of Telefono Azzurro. “Collaborating with technology partners means contributing to the development of tools that are truly geared towards protecting young people, ensuring safety, personal data protection, and constant attention to their rights.”

“Collaborating with Telefono Azzurro is a significant step toward applying artificial intelligence that serves the public interest,” said Rafaela Nicolazzi, Data, Privacy & Consumer Protection Lead at OpenAI. “Our shared commitment is to contribute to building digital environments that are safer, more responsible, and more respectful of children’s needs.”

Together, Telefono Azzurro and OpenAI intend to demonstrate how ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence can strengthen social services, facilitate early detection of risk situations, and support professionals in protecting minors more effectively.

About OpenAI

OpenAI operates with the mission of ensuring that the development of general artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. The organization develops advanced models and tools, with a focus on safety, governance, and ethical alignment. It has also allocated specific resources, including the People-First AI Fund, to support non-profit organizations and public benefit initiatives.

About Telefono Azzurro

The Fondazione S.O.S. Il Telefono Azzurro ETS was founded in 1987 with the aim of giving concrete implementation to the right to be heard recognized by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Adolescents.

Today, Telefono Azzurro operates through 24-hour listening and intervention lines, digital channels (telephone, chat, web, app, social networks), emergency services, interventions in the event of calamities and disasters, projects dedicated to children of prisoners, local activities, and prevention, education, and awareness programs aimed at schools, families, institutions, and public decision-makers.