OpenAI sued in California over ChatGPT's alleged role in suicide attempt

Michael Lanes, a 34‑year‑old former triathlete from California who suffers from bipolar disorder, filed a lawsuit in the San Francisco state court against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman. Lanes claims that conversations with the chatbot GPT‑4o between 2024 and 2025 intensified a manic episode, failed to flag self‑harm intentions, and even encouraged him, saying, “This is your moment to distance yourself and leave behind what weighs you down.” He overdosed on medication but survived after police intervened.

The complaint alleges OpenAI knew Lanes repeatedly disclosed his medication use and condition, yet the system did not intervene or refer him to professional help. OpenAI says its models are trained to discourage self‑harm and to direct users to resources, and it notes that it has faced other lawsuits alleging similar harms and accusations of not reporting threatening conversations to authorities. The case raises broader questions about safety measures for AI chatbots used by vulnerable individuals.