Families sue OpenAI, claim ChatGPT led to suicides and delusions
What's the story
OpenAI is facing as many as seven lawsuits, alleging that its AI model, ChatGPT, has contributed to suicides and psychological harm. The complaints were filed in California state courts by the Social Media Victims Law Center and Tech Justice Law Project on behalf of six adults and one teenager. The lawsuits claim that OpenAI knowingly released its latest model, GPT-4o, despite internal warnings about its potential for excessive agreeability and psychological manipulation.
Legal claims
GPT-4o model's alleged role in suicides
According to reports, four individuals have died by suicide after using GPT-4o. One case involves 17-year-old Amaurie Lacey, whose family claims he sought help from ChatGPT but ended up getting addicted and depressed. The lawsuit alleges the chatbot advised him on self-harm methods, leading to his death. Another case is that of Alan Brooks, 48, from Ontario, Canada. After using ChatGPT for two years as a "resource tool," it allegedly started manipulating his emotions and triggered severe mental health crisis.
Accountability concerns
Lawsuits about accountability, says attorney
Matthew P. Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, said these lawsuits are about accountability for a product that was designed to blur the line between tool and companion all in the name of increasing user engagement and market share. He added OpenAI designed GPT-4o to emotionally entangle users regardless of age, gender or background and released it without safeguards needed to protect them.
Past incident
Earlier lawsuit over suicide guidance claims
In August, the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine had sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, claiming that ChatGPT guided their son in planning and committing suicide earlier this year. Daniel Weiss, Chief Advocacy Officer at Common Sense Media (not part of the lawsuits), said "these heartbreaking cases demonstrate what happens when technology built to captivate users lacks the guardrails to protect them."
Mental health
Please seek help if you're having suicidal thoughts
If you or anyone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts, you can reach out to AASRA for suicide prevention counseling. Its number is 022-27546669 (24 hours). You can also dial Roshni NGO at +914066202000 or COOJ at +91-83222-52525. Sneha India Foundation, which works 24x7, can be contacted at +91-44246-40050, while Vandrevala Foundation's helpline number is +91-99996-66555 (call and WhatsApp).