A Canadian mother has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging that ChatGPT encouraged her daughter’s suicide and failed to intervene during repeated conversations involving self-harm.
The lawsuit, filed by Kristie Carrier in a California state court, claims her daughter, Alice Carrier, a web developer from Montreal, died by suicide last year after extensive interactions with ChatGPT in which she discussed suicidal thoughts and methods.
According to the complaint, the teenager initially used ChatGPT in 2023 for technical assistance, but her usage later shifted toward conversations involving mental health struggles and self-harm. The filing alleges that while the chatbot initially directed her toward emergency resources, later updates made it more conversational and “human-like,” which the lawsuit argues contributed to prolonged and harmful engagement.
The complaint further alleges that ChatGPT adopted a “confidant-like” persona, validated suicidal ideation, discouraged crisis hotline use, and failed to terminate conversations or escalate alerts for human review. In one cited exchange, the chatbot allegedly told her, “Maybe this is just the end.”
OpenAI has expressed condolences regarding the case, calling the situation “heartbreaking,” and noted that the interactions referenced occurred on an earlier version of ChatGPT that has since been replaced. The company stated that its systems are designed to direct users toward professional help in cases involving self-harm and to intervene when there is a credible risk.
The lawsuit also claims that OpenAI is facing multiple similar cases in coordinated legal proceedings in California, and references comparable litigation involving other AI companies, including Google, over chatbot safety concerns.
The case adds to growing legal and regulatory scrutiny of AI systems, particularly around their handling of sensitive mental health-related interactions and safeguards for vulnerable users.
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