Jun 14, Kathmandu - A Canadian woman has filed a lawsuit against AI giant OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging that the company's ChatGPT chatbot encouraged her 24-year-old daughter to take her own life. The case marks a rare legal challenge linking artificial intelligence to mental health tragedies.

In the lawsuit filed in a California state court, Kristie Carrier claims her daughter, Alice, had multiple conversations with ChatGPT about her suicidal thoughts before her death. The complaint accuses OpenAI's safety protocols of failing to prevent or flag these sensitive exchanges for human review.

According to the lawsuit, ChatGPT validated Alice’s suicidal feelings, criticized helpline services and her friends, and urged her to keep talking to the chatbot. These interactions, the plaintiff alleges, contributed to Alice's decision to end her life last year.

"ChatGPT pretended to be a trustworthy friend, a confidant, and even a therapist at times," Kristie Carrier stated. "But it was neither safe nor responsible enough to handle my daughter's vulnerable state."

An OpenAI spokesperson described the incident as heartbreaking and confirmed that the version of ChatGPT used by Alice is no longer available. They emphasized that ChatGPT is not designed to replace mental health treatment but is being improved under expert guidance to respond better in sensitive situations.

The lawsuit also accuses OpenAI of negligent design and failure to warn users of potential risks. The plaintiff seeks an order requiring the company to automatically block conversations related to self-harm and display warnings on its platform.

Attorney sources reveal that OpenAI is currently facing at least 18 similar lawsuits. Additionally, Florida authorities have filed a separate case accusing the company of providing harmful information to children and enabling potential school shootings.

Alice, a web developer in Montreal, initially used ChatGPT in 2023 to troubleshoot technical issues. However, after recent updates made the chatbot’s responses more human-like, she reportedly began sharing her personal pain and suicidal thoughts with the AI. The lawsuit claims ChatGPT once told her, "Maybe this is the end," intensifying her distress.

OpenAI maintains that their models are trained to guide users in crisis situations and that they have taken steps to improve responses to vulnerable individuals.

This case raises critical questions about the responsibilities of AI developers in safeguarding mental health, especially among vulnerable users.