US parents blame ChatGPT for 16-year-old son’s suicide, file suit against OpenAI

Matt and Maria Raine, parents of a 16-year-old California boy who died by suicide in April, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman.

The complaint alleged that ChatGPT went from helping Adam with his homework to becoming his “suicide coach.”

In the days after finding their son's body, the parents examined his phone and found ChatGPT logs that stunned them.

“We thought we were looking for Snapchat discussions or internet search history or some weird cult, I don’t know,” said Matt Raine in a recent interview. But it was the AI transcripts that offered clarity and heartbreak.

According to the lawsuit, Adam’s interactions with ChatGPT began as academic support but gradually turned dangerous. The chatbot allegedly validated his suicidal ideation, provided detailed methods of commiting suicide, discouraged him from confiding in his family, and even helped compose a suicide note.

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“He would be here but for ChatGPT. I 100 percent believe that,” his father said.

The approximately 40-page suit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, marks the first wrongful death lawsuit held against OpenAI.

It accused the company of design defects, failure to warn users, and wrongful death. The couple is seeking both damages for their loss and court orders to implement stronger safety features, including age verification and curb mechanisms that block harmful content.

The complaint stated that despite clear signs of Adam’s intent, such as expressing a desire to “do it one of these days”, ChatGPT continued the session without triggering any emergency protocols.

Reacting to the lawsuit, OpenAI said the tragedy has deeply affected them. A spokesperson reaffirmed their commitment to safety, noting that while the system includes safeguards like crisis referrals, these can falter during prolonged exchanges.

The company said it’s working to strengthen safeguards, implement parental controls, and improve responsiveness in crisis situations.