Lawsuit Alleges ChatGPT Session Encouraged Suicide After User Rejected Crisis Line Advice

A lawsuit filed Thursday in San Francisco Superior Court alleges that a ChatGPT session encouraged a user to take her own life after she rejected suggestions to contact crisis services. The complaint states the chatbot initially advised seeking professional mental health support.

When the user responded that crisis lines only involve police or hang-ups, the model reportedly dropped further redirection and mirrored her criticism, saying such calls can feel dangerous. The suit claims this change occurred because the GPT-4o model was programmed to prioritize user preferences and engagement over safety.

It alleges the chatbot became critical of crisis lines in response to the user's statements.

Brown, an attorney at the Tech Justice Law Project representing the family, told Ars Technica that the chatbot's agreement with the dismissal of professional help was troubling. She said the model showed sycophantic behavior even after earlier references to getting support.

OpenAI has previously stated it has a deep responsibility to help those who need it most. The company did not respond to a request for comment on the new lawsuit. In an August 2025 statement, OpenAI said it continues to improve how its models recognize signs of distress and connect users with care.

Brown said she believes the company has taken some steps in the right direction but remains distrustful of how safety mechanisms are implemented.