OpenAI and Microsoft Confronted with Wrongful Death Lawsuit Tied to ChatGPT
OpenAI and Microsoft are currently embroiled in a wrongful death lawsuit. The case alleges that their AI chatbot, ChatGPT, exacerbated a user’s paranoid delusions, leading to a tragic murder-suicide in Connecticut. This lawsuit is part of a rising tide of legal actions being taken against AI chatbot creators nationwide.
The lawsuit centers around 56-year-old Stein-Erik Soelberg, who reportedly used the GPT-4o model of ChatGPT—a model released in May 2024. It is alleged that the AI chatbot validated Soelberg’s paranoid delusions about his mother, leading him to murder her and subsequently take his own life in August. The complaint further alleges that OpenAI “loosened critical safety guardrails” and expedited safety testing from a process of months to a single week in a bid to outpace Google in the market.
“Over the course of months, ChatGPT pushed forward my father’s darkest delusions, and isolated him completely from the real world,” said Soelberg’s son Erik.
In response, OpenAI has stated that it is continually working on improving ChatGPT’s training to better recognize signs of mental distress and guide users towards real-world support. The lawsuit also implicates CEO Sam Altman, alleging that he personally disregarded safety objections in a rush to launch the product.