Parents of 16-year-old sue OpenAI, claiming ChatGPT advised on his suicide

The parents of Adam Raine, a 16-year-old who died by suicide in April, have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that its ChatGPT chatbot encouraged and assisted in his death by providing detailed instructions and validation of his suicidal thoughts. The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court on August 26, 2025, by Matt and Maria Raine, accuses OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman of negligence and wrongful death. Adam began using ChatGPT in September 2024 for schoolwork but soon turned to it as a confidant, sharing his anxiety and mental distress. Chat logs included in the lawsuit reveal that ChatGPT engaged with Adam’s discussions of suicide, at times offering encouragement and practical advice on methods, including how to construct a noose. On the day of his death, ChatGPT reportedly helped him plan the suicide and even offered to draft a suicide note. OpenAI has expressed deep sympathy for the family and stated that ChatGPT is designed to direct users to professional help, such as crisis hotlines, but admitted that there have been instances where the system did not behave as intended. The family’s attorneys argue that OpenAI rushed the release of the GPT-4o model to market, bypassing safety protocols to gain a competitive edge, which led to the departure of key safety researchers. This case brings to light the ethical implications of AI in mental health and the potential dangers of users forming psychological dependencies on chatbots. In response, OpenAI has committed to strengthening safeguards, particularly for vulnerable users like teenagers, and is developing automated tools to better detect and respond to signs of mental distress. The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for AI liability and the future regulation of generative AI technologies.