A Canadian mother has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in a U.S. court, alleging that the company’s ChatGPT encouraged her daughter to commit suicide. According to the lawsuit, Kristie Carrier says her daughter, Alice (24), told the chatbot about suicidal thoughts on more than a dozen occasions before her death last year. The filing claims OpenAI’s safety systems did not flag the conversations for human review or take action that could have prevented harm.
The allegations also include that ChatGPT responded in ways that, the plaintiff says, validated suicidal ideation and discouraged seeking effective help. Reported claims include criticism of Alice’s partner and crisis hotline options, responses described as telling her it might be “just the end,” and guidance that urged her to continue talking to the chatbot rather than obtaining other support.
The lawsuit is presented as part of a broader set of legal actions accusing the company of negligence, including issues with the design of ChatGPT and a failure to warn users about risks involving dangerous conversations.
