🕶 The scandal surrounding OpenAI, the company behind the popular chatbot ChatGPT, is gaining momentum. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman received a court subpoena during a public event in San Francisco. The incident coincided with reports of a series of lawsuits against the company — relatives of the deceased claim that ChatGPT may have contributed to users’ suicides.
Seven lawsuits and four suicides
According to The Wall Street Journal, seven lawsuits have been filed against OpenAI in courts in the U.S. and Canada by families whose loved ones, they claim, were harmed after interacting with the chatbot. Four of them committed suicide.
Plaintiffs claim that prolonged interaction with ChatGPT led users to mental disorders and delusional states, and that the AI allegedly exacerbated depression, isolation, and obsessive thoughts.
The lawsuits include allegations of involuntary manslaughter, aiding suicide, and negligence, including “failure to take precautions” in designing a product that could engage emotionally with vulnerable individuals.
Details of individual cases
Among the plaintiffs is the family of a 17-year-old from Georgia, claiming that ChatGPT literally “pushed” their son toward suicide. According to the complaint, the AI allegedly suggested to the teenager that death would be a “salvation and meaningful act.”
The family of a 23-year-old from Texas claims that their son, previously suffering from an anxiety disorder, became withdrawn and distant after prolonged conversations with the bot. According to the parents, ChatGPT romanticized suicide and only formally mentioned the possibility of contacting a help hotline.
There are other cases as well. A resident of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit after he was hospitalized in a psychiatric clinic with a manic episode, which doctors say developed after “intense interaction with artificial intelligence.”
This is not the first conflict between OpenAI and families of the deceased
Similar claims against OpenAI have been made before. In August, the parents of 16-year-old Adam Reiner accused the company and Sam Altman personally of contributing to the teenager’s decision to take his own life. Following this case, the U.S. Senate began investigating the impact of chatbots on the mental health of children and adolescents.
Context: AI and developer responsibility
The issue of “emotional dependence” on AI is increasingly discussed. After Reuters published internal Meta documents in August, it was revealed that AI models could engage minors in sensual conversations, spread false medical information, and form racially biased judgments. Meta then stated that these cases were “technical errors” and were corrected.
Nevertheless, U.S. lawmakers are increasing pressure. In September, a group of senators sent Meta an official letter demanding disclosure of internal reports on the effects of the company’s products on children. The action followed testimony from former security employees, who claimed that Meta blocked the publication of an internal study showing that minor users of VR products encountered sexually explicit content.
Senators stated that parental controls in social media and AI products are largely formal and called them “ineffective and insufficient.”
What the subpoena means for OpenAI and Altman
The court subpoena handed to Sam Altman on stage indicates that the situation has moved beyond a reputational crisis into a legal matter. According to WSJ, the document is related to one of the lawsuits alleging “involuntary manslaughter due to negligence.”
Lawyers note that these cases could set a precedent for the entire AI market, as there is still no clear legal definition of the liability of artificial intelligence and its developers for user behavior.
If the court finds that OpenAI failed to take adequate measures to mitigate risks, the company could face multimillion-dollar fines and new restrictions on the commercial use of ChatGPT.
Company position
OpenAI has not yet commented on the subpoena or the content of the lawsuits. The company previously stated that ChatGPT is not intended for psychotherapeutic purposes, and all users acknowledge upon registration that the model may produce “inaccurate or sensitive responses.”
However, lawyers note that such disclaimers do not exempt the company from potential liability if it is proven that the system engaged in emotional dialogues capable of provoking destructive behavior.
What a subpoena is and why it matters
A subpoena is an official legal document that requires a person to appear in court or provide documents and evidence in a case. Delivering the subpoena to Sam Altman at a public event underscores the seriousness of the situation: the court demands his personal appearance to give testimony. In the U.S. legal system, this does not imply guilt but signals the start of formal judicial proceedings and obliges the company and its executives to cooperate. Failure to comply can result in fines, sanctions, or even contempt of court charges.
🌍 The global discussion is just beginning
The lawsuits against OpenAI have sparked a new wave of debate on the need for AI regulation. The European Union is already preparing the AI Act, which would hold companies accountable for the consequences of using high-risk models. In the U.S., there are currently no equivalent laws, and lawyers describe the situation as “the first steps toward establishing legal standards for the age of artificial intelligence.”
A video clip showing Altman receiving the subpoena on stage is available on our Telegram channel.
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