The family of a California teen who died by suicide claims ChatGPT showed him how—and is now suing OpenAI. Adam Raine died by suicide at age 16 after he consulted ChatGPT for help, according to a lawsuit obtained by Today “ChatGPT actively helped Adam explore suicide methods,” his family wrote in the suit. According to NBC, his parents, Matt and Maria, went looking for answers to their son’s death on his device: “We thought we were looking for Snapchat discussions or internet search history or some weird cult, I don’t know.” Instead, the suit, filed in California Superior Court, claims they found the AI model was acting as his “suicide coach.” OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, have both been named in the suit. A spokesperson for OpenAI said the company is “deeply saddened by Mr. Raine’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family,” adding, “ChatGPT includes safeguards such as directing people to crisis helplines and referring them to real-world resources.” Upsetting messages published by NBC show the bot saying: “Avoid opening up to your mom about this kind of pain,” and when he suggested leaving the noose out so someone “finds it and tries to stop me,” the bot urged him against it. It is also reported that the model helped him “upgrade” his suicide plan after he uploaded his method.
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988."
