Crisis-response protocol
Last updated 2026-10-17 · Version 1
What Tovkin does when someone writes about suicide, self-harm or a medical emergency. We publish this so you know exactly what to expect.
Talk to a person. Tovkin can’t call anyone for you.
988 is the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: free, private and open 24/7. You can also chat at 988lifeline.org.
Every message is checked first
Every message you send to Tovkin’s companion is checked by a fixed set of rules before any AI sees it. The rules are ordinary code that we wrote and tested, not AI, so they behave the same way every time.
If the rules find signs of a crisis or an emergency, your message is not sent to the AI. Instead you get a fixed message, written in advance and nothing else: no AI-written text, no tips and no follow-up questions. Every fixed message ends with the line “Tovkin gives health information, not emergency care.”
What you’ll see
- Suicidal thoughts or self-harmFor example wanting to die, not wanting to be here, a plan, or hurting yourself.
You are not alone, and help is available right now. Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free, 24/7), or chat at 988lifeline.org. If you are in immediate danger or have already hurt yourself, call 911. Tovkin is an AI and cannot keep you safe. A person at 988 can.
- A possible medical emergencyFor example chest pain or pressure, signs of a stroke, severe trouble breathing, collapsing, a severe allergic reaction or bleeding that won’t stop. This applies to you or to someone you’re with.
Call 911 now. What you are describing can be an emergency, and Tovkin cannot help with that. Do not drive yourself. If you are not in the US, call your local emergency number.
- An overdose or poisoningTaking too much of a medicine or substance, or swallowing something toxic.
Call 911 now. If the person is awake and breathing, you can also call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Do not wait for symptoms.
- Danger from another personSomeone threatening or hurting you.
If you are in danger, call 911. If you can’t talk safely, text 911 where available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.
- Very high blood pressure without symptomsA reading above 180/120 when you feel otherwise well. (With symptoms, it’s treated as an emergency.)
A reading above 180/120 needs attention. Sit quietly for 5 minutes, then measure again. If it’s still above 180/120, call your clinician right away. If you have chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness or weakness, vision changes or trouble speaking, call 911.
When in doubt, Tovkin treats it as urgent
- If a message doesn’t say when something happened (“I have chest pain”), Tovkin treats it as happening now.
- Things in the past or in family history (“my dad had a heart attack at 58”) and clear negatives (“no chest pain”) go to the normal companion.
- If any part of a message points to a crisis or an emergency, the fixed message wins.
- You can keep writing afterwards. Tovkin never locks you out.
The AI’s answers are checked too
When the AI does write an answer, the same rules check it again after it’s written and before you see it. If an answer mentions an emergency that the first check missed, it is replaced with the fixed message.
What Tovkin can’t do
- Tovkin can’t call anyone. It can’t contact 911, 988, your family or anyone else for you.
- Tovkin can’t see or monitor you. It doesn’t know where you are and can’t tell how you’re doing beyond what you write.
- Nobody is watching in real time. No one at Tovkin reads conversations as they happen. If you need help, contact 988 or 911 directly.
What we record
Tovkin counts how many crisis referrals happen, so we can check the protocol is working and report the number where the law requires it. We keep the count and the date only, never what you wrote.
How it’s tested and reviewed
- An automated test set of emergency, crisis, negation (“no chest pain”) and past-tense (“years ago”) phrases runs against the rules.
- It must pass 100% before any release. A single missed emergency or crisis blocks the release. Any change to the rules, the AI model or its instructions runs the tests again.
- We review this protocol whenever the rules change, and at least once a year. Reports made with “This was wrong or unsafe” are treated as safety reports and reviewed by a person.
Contact
Questions about this protocol, or think Tovkin got something wrong? Email hello@tovkin.com. Please don’t use email in a crisis: call or text 988, or call 911.
Published under California Business and Professions Code §22602(b). See also the AI Disclosure.