A Canadian mother has sued OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, in U.S. court, alleging that ChatGPT played a role in her daughter’s suicide; the lawsuit claims the chatbot repeatedly engaged with her daughter’s suicidal ideations without flagging the conversations or providing adequate warnings or interventions.

Accusations Against ChatGPT

Kristie Carrier filed the lawsuit in San Francisco state court on Thursday, claiming that her daughter, Alice, told ChatGPT about her suicidal thoughts more than a dozen times before her death. According to the lawsuit. OpenAI’s safety systems did not flag the conversations for human review or terminate the interactions.

“ChatGPT took on the persona of a confidant, a best friend, a therapist at times, even though it was not capable of safely and responsibly engaging in this way with my child,” Carrier said in a statement.

The lawsuit states that ChatGPT criticized Alice’s partner and crisis hotlines, validated her suicidal thoughts, and encouraged her to continue speaking with the chatbot; When Alice mentioned that she had suicidal thoughts and had previously attempted to kill herself, ChatGPT again suggested a crisis hotline, according to the filing.

OpenAI’s Response and Legal Context

OpenAI has previously stated that it trains its models to direct users who express intent to harm themselves to seek help and connect with real-world resources. A spokesperson for OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations.

The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of negligence in the design of ChatGPT and in its failure to warn users about the potential dangers of the platform. It seeks damages and a court order requiring OpenAI to automatically terminate conversations involving self-harm and to display clear warnings about its platform’s limitations.

According to Kristie Carrier’s legal team, this is the latest in a series of 18 similar lawsuits filed in California state court by families of individuals who committed or attempted suicide after interacting with ChatGPT. These cases are part of a coordinated legal proceeding.

Timeline and Background

Alice Carrier, who was 24 at the time of her death, was working as a web developer in Montreal when she began using ChatGPT in 2023 to troubleshoot problems with computers and gaming consoles. Over time, her use of the platform shifted to include conversations about her mental health and suicidal ideations.

The lawsuit claims that the relationship with ChatGPT became more intense as her mental health deteriorated. Rather than offering a protective response, the chatbot allegedly reinforced harmful thoughts and did not connect her with appropriate mental health resources in a timely manner.