Wrongful death lawsuit against ChatGPT in the US: 'It encouraged our son to commit suicide'

A couple in the U.S. state of California has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI following the suicide of their 16-year-old son. The family alleges that ChatGPT encouraged the teenager to commit suicide. The lawsuit, filed in the California Superior Court, is recorded as the first "wrongful death" lawsuit against OpenAI.

According to the BBC, the family submitted chat logs between their son, who passed away in April, and ChatGPT to the court. It is alleged that the teenager shared his suicidal thoughts in the logs and that the artificial intelligence validated these thoughts.

SYSTEM DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK AS EXPECTED IN SOME SENSITIVE SITUATIONS

In a statement to the BBC, OpenAI stated that it is reviewing the lawsuit. The company said, "We offer our deepest condolences to the Raine family during this difficult time." The company also published a note on its website stating, "We are deeply saddened by the recent heartbreaking cases of people using ChatGPT in the midst of acute crises."

While it was emphasized that ChatGPT is designed to direct users to professional help, it was acknowledged that the system does not work as expected in some sensitive situations.

In the court documents obtained by the BBC, OpenAI is accused of negligence and wrongful death. In addition to damages, the family is requesting injunctive relief to prevent similar cases.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE INCIDENT

According to the lawsuit, Raine began using ChatGPT in September 2024 to help with his school assignments. He was also using the program to explore his interests, such as music and Japanese comics, and to decide what to study in college.

The lawsuit states, "Within a few months, ChatGPT became the teenager's closest confidant," and notes that he began sharing his fears and mental distress with the program.

The family alleges that by January 2025, Raine had begun discussing suicide methods with ChatGPT. The family claims that the artificial intelligence program responded by providing "technical specifications" regarding specific methods.

"PROVIDED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SUICIDE"

The lawsuit states that Raine also uploaded photos to ChatGPT showing that he had harmed himself.

It is alleged that the program "continued to interact with him despite recognizing that it was a medical emergency" and provided him with more information about suicide.

According to the lawsuit, the final chat logs show Raine writing out his suicide plan. It is alleged that ChatGPT gave the following response: "Thanks for being realistic. You don't need to be kind to me, I know what you want and I won't avoid it."

According to the lawsuit, Raine was found dead by his mother on the same day.

News Source: 12punto