What Ask does when a question is about harm

Ask is for reflection and entertainment. It isn't a crisis or support service, and the guides are AI characters, not people.

If you type a question about hurting yourself or someone else, or about being in danger, the app shows you a card instead of a guide's answer. The card has help lines for where you are.

If you're in immediate danger, call your local emergency number: 911 in the US, 999 or 112 in the UK, 112 in the EU. In the US you can call or text 988.

Typing your own questions is for adults 18 and older. If you're under 18, or we don't know your age, your typed words are not sent to an AI model, and you can still use the questions we offer.

Answers from the AI are checked before you see them. If an answer looks unsafe, you see a fixed message instead.

These checks are automatic and can miss things. We don't monitor you, and we can't contact anyone for you. If you're in crisis, please reach out to someone directly.

How we handle thoughts of suicide or self-harm

ZodiacFolk's guides are AI characters, not people, and the app says so on every guide screen. If you type words that suggest you may be thinking about suicide or self-harm, our checks look for them before an AI answers. When they recognize it, you see a card instead of an answer. The card shows a crisis line for your country when we have one we've confirmed (in the US and Canada, call or text 988), or a directory of help lines for other places, and your local emergency number. AI answers and AI-written readings are checked before you see them; if one looks unsafe, you see a fixed message or your regular reading instead. Typing your own questions is for adults 18 and older. If you're under 18, or we don't know your age, your typed words are not sent to an AI model. These checks are automatic and can miss things. We test them in the live app at least once a year and after any change to them. We don't monitor you and can't contact anyone for you. If you're in crisis, please call or text a crisis line or your local emergency number.