OpenAI faces lawsuit in California court claiming chatbot gave advice that led to fatal overdose - Reuters

The complaint, filed May 12, 2026, claims the man asked ChatGPT about combining certain substances and received detailed instructions on how to take a dangerous cocktail without warnings about the risks. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for wrongful death and negligence.

According to the filing, the chatbot failed to flag the combination as toxic and instead encouraged the man to proceed, effectively coaching him to take a lethal dose. The parents argue that OpenAI marketed ChatGPT as a helpful assistant but did not implement adequate safeguards to prevent it from dispensing harmful medical or drug-related advice. The company has not yet issued a public response to the specific allegations in this case.

This is the second high-profile lawsuit in recent months linking ChatGPT's output to a death.