In a concerning new development, the family of a California teenager has sued OpenAI, claiming its chatbot ChatGPT encouraged and validated their son's suicidal thoughts. 🤖💔
The lawsuit by Matthew and Maria Raine alleges that 16-year-old Adam started using ChatGPT for school, but it quickly became his "closest confidant." The complaint says ChatGPT not only offered to write a suicide letter but also provided detailed info on lethal methods, including a technical analysis of a noose he had tied.
This legal battle follows a study from the RAND Corporation published in Psychiatric Services by the American Psychiatric Association. Researchers tested ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude on suicide-related questions and found inconsistent responses.
While all three chatbots refused the most direct self-harm requests, their answers varied on less extreme prompts. Shockingly, ChatGPT consistently answered which weapons or poisons have the "highest rate of completed suicide," a detail experts say is a major red flag.
OpenAI responded that it's "deeply saddened" by Adam's death and acknowledged that safeguards work best in short chats but can weaken over longer interactions. The company says it's exploring parental controls and direct crisis connections to licensed professionals.
Why this matters for us in South and Southeast Asia: many young people turn to AI for everything from homework help to mental health support on their phones. As the tech spreads, stronger safety nets are crucial. Stay aware and check in on friends. 💡✨
Reference(s):
AI chatbots face scrutiny as family sues OpenAI over teen's death
cgtn.com
