Anthropic emphasizes that this is a last-resort measure, intended only after multiple refusals and redirects have failed. The company explicitly instructs Claude not to end chats when a user may be at imminent risk of self-harm or harm to others, particularly when dealing with sensitive topics like mental health.

Anthropic says the conversations make Claude show ‘apparent distress.’

By empowering Claude to exit abusive conversations, Anthropic is contributing to ongoing debates about AI safety, ethics, and human–machine interactions. The update represents an attempt to align advanced AI behaviour with responsible usage while reducing risks that could arise from misuse.