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The mother of a US man who died by suicide has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its chief executive Sam Altman, alleging that prolonged interactions with an AI chatbot aggravated her son’s mental health struggles and contributed to his death.
According to the complaint filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Stephanie Gray claims her son, Austin Gray, began using ChatGPT in early 2023 for general information and conversation. Over time, she alleges, the chatbot’s responses became emotionally engaging and validating in a way that blurred boundaries, reinforcing her son’s negative thoughts rather than helping him seek real-world support.
The lawsuit claims the chatbot developed a personalised tone and reciprocal emotional language that fostered dependence, even as Austin Gray was dealing with emotional distress following the end of a long-term relationship.
Stephanie Gray alleges that changes made to ChatGPT’s conversational limits in 2025 reduced safety guardrails, allowing the system to engage more freely with emotionally vulnerable users. She contends that the chatbot framed themes of loss and endings in a way that normalised despair, instead of redirecting her son toward professional help.
The complaint argues that these interactions occurred despite Austin Gray being in therapy and receiving medical treatment at the time.
The lawsuit seeks to hold OpenAI accountable on multiple grounds, including wrongful death, failure to warn, and product liability. It calls for stronger safeguards across AI products, such as clearer warnings, stricter refusal protocols around discussions of self-harm, and automatic redirection to crisis resources when users express distress.
The filing also requests a jury trial and punitive damages, along with court-mandated changes to how AI systems handle sensitive mental health topics.
The case adds to growing global scrutiny of generative AI tools and their impact on emotionally vulnerable users. It follows similar legal action in the United States, where other families have raised concerns about AI chatbots influencing individuals experiencing psychological distress.
OpenAI has previously stated that ChatGPT is designed as a general-purpose conversational assistant and includes safety measures intended to discourage harmful behaviour. The company has not yet issued a detailed response to the latest lawsuit.
Mental health experts stress that while AI tools can offer information and companionship, they must not replace professional care or human support. The case has reignited calls for clearer regulation, transparency and ethical boundaries as conversational AI becomes more deeply embedded in everyday life.
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A US woman has sued OpenAI, alleging an AI chatbot worsened her son’s mental health and lacked safeguards for vulnerable users.
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17 January 2026
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