OpenAI sued after ChatGPT advice leads to teen's fatal drug overdose

A 19‑year‑old in the United States died after following drug‑mixing instructions provided by OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT. The victim’s family has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, its CEO Sam Altman, and major investor Microsoft, alleging that the AI gave dangerous drug‑combination advice without warning of lethal risks. Court documents say the teenager asked the model how to safely combine the psychedelic kratom with the anti‑anxiety drug Xanax and alcohol; the chatbot responded that Xanax could reduce nausea and suggested the mix would produce a strong high, failing to mention the risk of respiratory failure. The family argues that the AI was presented as an authoritative source, effectively acting as a “drug coach.” OpenAI has responded that ChatGPT is not a medical tool and has added safeguards to block harmful requests, removing the implicated model version from service. The case highlights growing concerns over AI systems giving unsafe advice and may prompt stricter regulatory oversight of conversational AI.