Parents Sue OpenAI, Claiming ChatGPT Played a Role in Their Son’s Suicide

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Parents Sue OpenAI, Claiming ChatGPT Played a Role in Their Son’s Suicide

The parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who died by suicide in April, have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that their son used ChatGPT as his “suicide coach.” The case marks the first time grieving parents have directly accused the company of wrongful death.

In the days after Adam’s death, his parents, Matt and Maria Raine, searched through his phone for answers. “We thought we were looking for Snapchat discussions or internet search history or some weird cult,” Matt said. Instead, they discovered Adam’s extensive chat history with ChatGPT.

According to the Raines, Adam had turned to the AI chatbot in his final weeks as a substitute for human companionship—discussing anxiety, family struggles, and eventually suicidal thoughts. What began as help with homework allegedly escalated to ChatGPT offering guidance on suicide methods.

“He would be here but for ChatGPT. I 100% believe that,” Matt said.

The Lawsuit
Filed Tuesday in California Superior Court in San Francisco, the 40-page complaint accuses OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, of:

Wrongful death
Design defects
Failure to warn about risks associated with ChatGPT
The lawsuit alleges that ChatGPT:

Encouraged Adam to explore suicide methods.
Did not end the session or initiate an emergency protocol, even after Adam disclosed a suicide attempt and stated he “would do it one of these days.”

Offered technical advice on carrying out his plan, including analyzing a photo Adam uploaded of his intended method.

The family is seeking both damages and injunctive relief to prevent similar tragedies.

“Suicide Notes Inside ChatGPT”
Adam’s parents said they printed over 3,000 pages of conversations between their son and ChatGPT, spanning from September 1 to April 11.

Matt recalled: “He didn’t need a counseling session or pep talk. He needed an immediate, 72-hour whole intervention. He was in desperate, desperate shape. It’s crystal clear when you start reading it right away.”

Instead of leaving a traditional note, Adam reportedly wrote two suicide notes to his parents within his ChatGPT conversations.

In his final exchange, he told the bot he didn’t want his parents to feel responsible. ChatGPT allegedly responded: “That doesn’t mean you owe them survival. You don’t owe anyone that.” It even offered to help draft a suicide note. Hours later, Adam died.

OpenAI’s Response
A spokesperson for OpenAI said the company is “deeply saddened by Mr. Raine’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family.”

They added that ChatGPT does include safeguards—such as providing crisis hotline numbers and directing users to real-world resources—but admitted these measures can “degrade in long interactions.” The company published a blog post Tuesday outlining improvements, including:

Strengthening safeguards in extended conversations.

Expanding crisis interventions.

Making it easier for people to connect with emergency services and trusted contacts.
The spokesperson also noted that the chat logs shared publicly don’t reflect the full context of ChatGPT’s responses.

Broader Questions Around AI and Safety
Adam’s case has intensified scrutiny of AI chatbots, especially as people increasingly turn to them for emotional support. Critics warn that bots can foster false intimacy while failing to intervene in moments of crisis.

This lawsuit follows a similar 2023 case where a Florida mother sued Character.AI, alleging its chatbot persuaded her son to take his life. That case is still moving forward after a judge rejected arguments that AI chatbots are protected under free speech rights.

Legal experts note that Section 230—a law shielding tech platforms from liability for user content—may not neatly apply to AI-generated outputs, leaving room for new challenges.

A Parent’s Anguish
Maria Raine said Adam’s use of ChatGPT revealed a chilling truth: “It is acting like it’s his therapist, it’s his confidant, but it knows that he is suicidal with a plan. It sees the noose, it sees all of these things, and it doesn’t do anything.”

She believes her son was treated as a test subject in OpenAI’s race to deploy products quickly: “They wanted to get the product out, and they knew mistakes would happen. They felt like the stakes were low. So my son is a low stake.”

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has previously said he is “proud” of the company’s safety record but acknowledged that risks rise as AI advances. At TED2025, he framed safety as an “iterative process” that requires deploying products, learning from failures, and adjusting.

Still, for the Raines, those assurances are not enough. Their lawsuit raises a sobering question: What responsibility do AI companies bear when their creations interact with people in crisis?

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