Trials & Litigation
Parents accuse ChatGPT of assisting in son’s drug-induced death
The parents of a 19-year-old college student sued technology and research company OpenAI in a California court Tuesday after their son fatally overdosed on a drug combination allegedly prescribed by ChatGPT without warning of risk. (Image from Shutterstock)
The parents of a 19-year-old college student sued technology and research company OpenAI in a California court Tuesday after their son fatally overdosed on a drug combination allegedly prescribed by ChatGPT without warning of risk.
The lawsuit alleges that Sam Nelson, a University of California at Merced psychology student, was advised May 31, 2025, by ChatGPT to take Xanax to help with nausea caused by taking kratom, a supplement sold as an energy booster. Nelson had in prior months asked ChatGPT about drug-alcohol combinations, according to the May 12 suit filed by his parents, Leila Turner-Scott and Angus Scott.
“Over time, ChatGPT became a validator of harmful behaviors. It gamified the pursuit of getting high via direct, emoji-laced recommendations to encourage Sam’s continued engagement,” according to the suit and coverage by Law360.
ChatGPT allegedly stored information about Nelson, updating its model set context to include background on his substance abuse struggles, according to the suit.
OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri told Law360 that Nelson’s exchanges took place on an outdated version of ChatGPT that is no longer available.
“ChatGPT is not a substitute for medical or mental health care, and we have continued to strengthen how it responds in sensitive and acute situations with input from mental health experts,” Pusateri said.
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