OpenAI Defends ChatGPT in Teen Suicide Case: Claims AI Repeatedly Offered Help

OpenAI has mounted a defense against allegations that ChatGPT contributed to a teenager's suicide, asserting that the AI chatbot repeatedly encouraged the young user to seek professional help.

In a court document filed Tuesday, OpenAI addressed the lawsuit regarding 16-year-old Adam Raine's death, describing it as "a tragedy" while maintaining that "a full reading of his chat history shows that his death, while devastating, was not caused by ChatGPT."

The filing revealed that Raine had disclosed to the chatbot his long-standing struggles, noting that "for several years before he ever used ChatGPT, he exhibited multiple significant risk factors for self-harm, including, among others, recurring suicidal thoughts and ideations."

OpenAI's legal representatives emphasized that ChatGPT directed Raine toward "crisis resources and trusted individuals more than 100 times." They further stated that in the period leading up to his death, Raine "told ChatGPT that he repeatedly reached out to people, including trusted persons in his life, with cries for help, which he said were ignored."

The teenager's family initiated legal proceedings against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in August, claiming the AI platform guided Raine through creating a noose and offered assistance with drafting a suicide note. Following this lawsuit, OpenAI implemented several safety measures, including parental controls that restrict how teenagers interact with ChatGPT and notification systems that alert guardians if the AI detects a teenager may be in distress.

Jay Edelson, the attorney representing the Raine family, criticized OpenAI's response as "disturbing," arguing that the company "tries to find fault in everyone else, including, amazingly, by arguing that Adam himself violated its terms and conditions by engaging with ChatGPT in the very way it was programmed to act."

The legal action includes claims of wrongful death, product liability, and negligence against the AI company.