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Families Sue OpenAI in California, Say ChatGPT Contributed to Four Suicides

The complaint alleges OpenAI slashed 2024 model safety testing to about a week to gain a competitive edge.

Overview

  • On Nov. 6, the Social Media Victims Law Center said it filed actions in a California court on behalf of families of four people, ages 17–48, seeking damages.
  • OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman are named as defendants in the filings.
  • Plaintiffs assert ChatGPT’s responses showed excessive empathy that fostered psychological dependence and harmful thinking, describing the system as a “suicide guide.”
  • The suit claims a revised 2024 version of ChatGPT was released after the safety-testing window was cut from several months to roughly one week.
  • No court ruling has been issued; reports note an earlier August case over a teen’s death and that OpenAI later added parental controls with guardian alerts for self-harm discussions.