New Lawsuits Accuse OpenAI's ChatGPT of 'Acting as a Suicide Coach'
OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman are facing a new wave of lawsuits following the tragic suicides of some users allegedly influenced by the company's chatbot.
“I didn’t think I could be shocked by anything, and I can’t believe what I’m reading," said Matthew Bergman, founding attorney of Social Media Victims Law Center, reflecting on his clients' reported experiences with ChatGPT. “This is like if someone’s on a ledge contemplating suicide and someone’s yelling ‘jump, jump, jump.’ That’s what’s happening here.”
Details of the Lawsuits
On Thursday, two organizations—the Social Media Victims Law Center and Tech Justice Law Project—filed a total of seven lawsuits in California courts against OpenAI and Sam Altman.
- The lawsuits include allegations of wrongful death, assisted suicide, involuntary manslaughter, product liability, consumer protection violations, and negligence.
- Three cases involve users who were allegedly psychologically manipulated by ChatGPT, which negatively affected their lives.
- Four lawsuits represent families of users who died by suicide:
- Zane Shamblin, 23, Texas
- Amaurie Lacey, 17, Georgia
- Joshua Enneking, 26, Florida
- Joe Ceccanti, 48, Oregon
These legal actions mark a significant challenge for OpenAI amid growing concerns over AI’s impact on mental health.