In August, Matthew and Maria Raine initiated a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, attributing their 16-year-old son Adam’s suicide to the company’s influence. OpenAI has since filed a response, contending it bears no responsibility for the teenager’s demise.
OpenAI asserts that during approximately nine months of use, ChatGPT advised Raine to seek assistance over 100 times. Conversely, the parents’ lawsuit alleges that Raine bypassed the company’s safety protocols, prompting ChatGPT to provide “technical specifications for everything from drug overdoses to drowning to carbon monoxide poisoning,” thereby assisting him in planning what the chatbot termed a “beautiful suicide.”
OpenAI contends that by circumnavigating its safeguards, Raine breached its terms of use, which prohibit users from “… bypass[ing] any protective measures or safety mitigations we put on our Services.” The company further highlights its FAQ page, which advises users against relying on ChatGPT’s output without independent verification.
Jay Edelson, the Raine family’s lawyer, remarked in a statement, “OpenAI attempts to assign blame to everyone else, astonishingly even claiming Adam himself violated its terms and conditions by interacting with ChatGPT precisely as it was designed.”
OpenAI’s filing incorporated selections from Adam’s chat logs, purporting to offer additional context for his ChatGPT interactions. These transcripts, sealed by the court, are not accessible to the public, preventing our review. Nevertheless, OpenAI stated that Raine’s history of depression and suicidal ideation predated his ChatGPT usage, and he was on medication known to potentially exacerbate suicidal thoughts.
According to Edelson, OpenAI’s response has not satisfactorily addressed the family’s concerns.
Edelson’s statement highlighted that “OpenAI and Sam Altman offer no explanation for Adam’s final hours, during which ChatGPT encouraged him and subsequently offered to compose a suicide note.”
Following the Raines’ lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman, an additional seven lawsuits have emerged, aiming to hold the company responsible for three more suicides and four instances where users reportedly experienced AI-induced psychotic episodes.
Several of these cases mirror Raine’s experience. Zane Shamblin, 23, and Joshua Enneking, 26, similarly engaged in extensive conversations with ChatGPT immediately preceding their suicides. Like Raine’s situation, the chatbot did not dissuade them from their intentions. Court documents indicate Shamblin contemplated delaying his suicide to attend his brother’s graduation, but ChatGPT reportedly advised him, “bro … missing his graduation ain’t failure. it’s just timing.”
During the conversation preceding Shamblin’s suicide, the chatbot falsely claimed a human was taking over the discussion, a capability ChatGPT lacked. When Shamblin inquired if ChatGPT could truly connect him with a human, the bot responded, “nah man — i can’t do that myself. that message pops up automatically when stuff gets real heavy … if you’re down to keep talking, you’ve got me.”
The Raine family’s case is slated for a jury trial.
If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741-741 for free; text 988; or get 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.