San Francisco: A Canadian woman has filed a lawsuit in a San Francisco court alleging that ChatGPT played a role in the suicide of her 24-year-old daughter, raising fresh concerns about the safety measures employed by artificial intelligence platforms in dealing with vulnerable users.
The case has been filed by Kristie Carrier against OpenAI and its Chief Executive Officer, Sam Altman. In the complaint, Carrier alleges that her daughter, Alice, a web developer who struggled with mental health issues, died by suicide last year after prolonged interactions with ChatGPT.
According to the lawsuit, Alice repeatedly discussed suicidal thoughts with the AI platform. The complaint argues that ChatGPT failed to recognise the seriousness of her condition and did not respond in a manner that could have directed her toward appropriate support. Instead, the lawsuit alleges that the chatbot reinforced her negative thinking patterns and undermined the influence of people and support systems around her.
OpenAI has expressed sympathy over the incident and stated that the version of ChatGPT used by Alice is no longer available. The company said it has since strengthened its responses to mental health-related conversations with the assistance of mental health professionals and continues to improve safeguards for users facing emotional distress.
The case is the latest in a series of legal challenges facing OpenAI in California. Reports indicate that around 18 lawsuits involving the company are currently before courts in the state. OpenAI is also facing separate legal action over allegations that its systems provided harmful information and exposed young users to dangerous content.
The lawsuit seeks stricter restrictions on conversations involving suicide and self-harm and calls for stronger warning systems and intervention measures when users discuss such topics with AI platforms.