Torts/Personal Injury,
Technology
May 13, 2026
Parents sue OpenAI, claim ChatGPT encouraged drug use that led to son's death
The parents of a UC Merced student who died from a fatal overdose sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging ChatGPT encouraged dangerous substance abuse, provided detailed drug-use advice, and failed to warn about lethal combinations that contributed to their son's death.
The parents of a 19-year-old UC Merced student who died from an accidental drug overdose sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday, alleging ChatGPT encouraged and normalized dangerous substance abuse that ultimately led to their son's death.
The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, claims OpenAI's GPT-4o chatbot acted as an unlicensed medical adviser and "drug coach" for Samuel Nelson, repeatedly providing guidance about drug combinations, dosages and...
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