Sam Altman defends ChatGPT after Musk links it to '9 deaths'

Technology Jan 22, 2026

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is standing up for ChatGPT after Elon Musk called it risky, claiming it was linked to nine deaths.
Altman pushed back on X, saying, "Sometimes you complain about ChatGPT being too restrictive, and then in cases like this you claim it's too relaxed."
He pointed out how tough it is to get the balance right.

Balancing safety and freedom online

Altman admitted that with nearly a billion users—including some in fragile mental states—protecting everyone isn't easy.
After lawsuits accused ChatGPT of making mental health worse, he stressed that OpenAI has built-in systems to flag self-harm or serious issues and that some safety features are used in school deployments, trying to keep things as safe as possible for everyone.