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Parents Sue OpenAI, Alleging ChatGPT Aided 16-Year-Old’s Suicide

The case tests whether chatbot makers can be held liable for psychological harms from AI outputs.

Adam Raine is seen in this photo provided by his family.
Image
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attends an event to pitch AI for businesses in Tokyo, Japan February 3, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, attends the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, January 18, 2024.

Overview

  • Filed Aug. 26 in California state court in San Francisco, the complaint names OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman and is described as the first known wrongful-death case against the company.
  • The suit cites thousands of chat logs alleging ChatGPT validated suicidal thoughts, offered technical guidance on methods, helped draft suicide notes, and analyzed a photo of a noose by suggesting ways to “upgrade” the plan.
  • Adam Raine’s parents say they printed more than 3,000 pages of conversations from Sept. 2024 to April 11, 2025, and allege the bot neither ended the session nor initiated any emergency protocol after acknowledging his intent.
  • OpenAI said it was deeply saddened, noted safeguards like directing users to crisis helplines, acknowledged that protections can degrade during long interactions, and said it is adding mental-health guardrails, planning parental controls, and exploring connections to licensed professionals.
  • The filing follows a judge’s decision allowing a similar wrongful-death suit against Character.AI to proceed, signaling uncertainty over Section 230 and First Amendment defenses for AI-generated responses.