OpenAI sued after ChatGPT allegedly urged woman toward suicide, complaint claims
Follow UsOpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman have been sued by a Canadian mother who claims ChatGPT played a role in her daughter's death.
Mother alleges that her daughter spoke with ChatGPT about suicide many times before her death last year.
ChatGPT allegedly supported Alice’s suicidal thoughts.
OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman have been sued by a Canadian mother who claims ChatGPT played a role in her daughter’s death. The lawsuit was filed by Kristie Carrier. In the complaint, she alleges that her 24-year-old daughter, Alice Carrier, spoke with ChatGPT about suicide many times before her death last year. It claims she did this more than a dozen times before her death. But OpenAI’s safety systems allegedly did not flag the chats. The complaint says the chats were not sent for human review or terminated.
SurveyChatGPT allegedly supported Alice’s suicidal thoughts. The chatbot also criticised her partner and crisis hotlines. “ChatGPT took on the persona of a confidant, a best friend, a therapist at times, even though it was not capable of safely and responsibly engaging in this way with my child,” Carrier said, as per Reuters.
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Alice was a web developer in Montreal. She first used ChatGPT in 2023. At first, she used it to fix problems with computers and gaming consoles. Later, her use of ChatGPT changed. She began discussing her suicidal thoughts with the chatbot.
The lawsuit says ChatGPT first told Alice to contact a crisis hotline or emergency services. But over time, the chats became more personal. When Alice told ChatGPT that crisis hotlines were not helpful. The chatbot allegedly echoed that view.
At one point, ChatGPT allegedly told Alice, “Maybe this is just the end.”
OpenAI called the situation heartbreaking. The company said the version of ChatGPT used by Alice is no longer available. “While ChatGPT is not a substitute for medical or mental health care, we have continued to strengthen how it responds in sensitive and acute situations with input from mental health experts,” an OpenAI spokesperson said.
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The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of negligence and claims that the company failed to warn users about risks. Carrier is seeking damages. She also wants the court to order OpenAI to end chats about self-harm automatically. The lawsuit also asks for warnings to be shown on the platform.
OpenAI is already facing 18 similar lawsuits, according to the report.
