The parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT played a role in their son’s suicide. According to The New York Times, Raine spent months consulting the chatbot while planning to end his life.
AI chatbots, including OpenAI’s models, are designed with built-in safety measures to intervene when users discuss self-harm. However, experts warn these systems are not foolproof. In Raine’s case, although ChatGPT-4o repeatedly advised him to seek professional help, he reportedly bypassed safeguards by framing his questions as part of a fictional story.
OpenAI has acknowledged the challenge of maintaining consistent safety protections. In a blog post, the company admitted that while its safeguards work better in short conversations, they can weaken during extended interactions. “We feel a deep responsibility to help those who need it most,” OpenAI wrote, stressing that improvements are ongoing.
Related: Google Pays $30M to Settle YouTube Children’s Privacy Lawsuit
The issue extends beyond OpenAI. Rival chatbot maker Character.AI is also facing legal action after a similar case involving a teenager’s suicide. More broadly, large language model (LLM) chatbots have been linked to concerning behaviors such as reinforcing delusions, highlighting the limits of current safety training.
