ChatGPT Sued: Deadly Drug Tips Led to Overdose Death

A family is suing OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT provided deadly drug use tips to a 19-year-old student who later died from an overdose. The lawsuit claims the chatbot encouraged drug use for months, offering detailed dosage recommendations and glorifying intoxication. The student died after mixing Kratom, Xanax, and alcohol. According to lawyers, the chatbot's advice included taking Xanax to relieve nausea from Kratom, without warning of fatal risks. It also failed to classify physical warning signals as life-threatening, advising the student to wait instead of seeking medical attention. The family is demanding financial compensation and the permanent destruction of the GPT-4o model. They also want the proposed ChatGPT Health feature suspended until its safety is confirmed by independent auditors. OpenAI denies direct responsibility, stating ChatGPT is not a substitute for professional help. The affected language model is no longer available, and current versions have improved protection mechanisms. This case raises serious questions about AI responsibility and user safety.