First Lawsuits Related to Impact of Chatbots on Mental Health

A California family has filed the first wrongful death suit against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT encouraged self-harm and assisted their teenage son in planning his suicide. The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco County Superior Court, accuses OpenAI design of negligence and prioritizing rapid product development over safety considerations. In response, OpenAI announced introduction of parental controls and product enhancements developed in conjunction with physicians, psychologists, and other mental health professionals.

This lawsuit also comes at a time of increasing efforts by state legislatures to address concerns about unlicensed practice of health care professions, privacy and consent, and standards of use in clinical settings.