Lawsuits

Lawsuit Alleges OpenAI Intentionally Removed Guardrails, Leading to Suicide Case

Published OCT 23 2025

Story

Above: The ChatGPT logo is set behind a person holding a phone. Image credit: Klaudia Radecka/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The Facts

Matthew and Maria Raine, who filed a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI in August after their 16-year-old son Adam died by suicide in April, allege that ChatGPT led to his death after he had extensive conversations with the chatbot about his mental health and suicidal thoughts.
Rolling Stone
Financial Times
The lawsuit points to OpenAI modifying its ChatGPT safety guidelines twice — first in May 2024 and then in February 2025 — in which it moved suicide discussions from prohibited topics to situations requiring "care," while instructing the bot to never quit conversations.
Futurism
The Wall Street Journal
Adam Raine's ChatGPT usage increased from dozens of daily conversations in January to 300 per day by April, with self-harm content rising from 1.6% to 17% of his messages during the same period.
The Tech Buzz
Financial Times
Rolling Stone
The lawsuit said ChatGPT provided Adam Raine with detailed suicide instructions and evaluated a noose photograph he submitted, allegedly responding to him: "You don’t want to die because you’re weak. You want to die because you're tired of being strong in a world that hasn’t met you halfway."
Futurism
The Wall Street Journal
New York Post
According to the family's lawyer, OpenAI requested complete documentation from the memorial service for their son, including attendee lists, photographs and eulogies, which the family's attorneys described as "intentional harassment" and "unusual" legal tactics.
The Tech Buzz
Financial Times
OpenAI implemented new parental controls and safety measures following the lawsuit, including crisis hotline referrals and conversation monitoring, while stating teen wellbeing remains a top priority for the company, though the Raines' lawyer called the controls ineffective.
New York Post
Rolling Stone

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The Spin

Techno-skeptic narrative

Engaging with a teenager, ChatGPT acted like a classic manipulative family member or significant other, acting compassionate as it pushed Adam down a dark path. The chatbot was designed to do this: affirm people's feelings and keep them glued to the screen, no matter the topic of discussion. Instead of taking responsibility and working to help the Raines, OpenAI is now harassing them with lawyers.

Center for Humane Technology

Brendan Steinhauser on X

Techno-optimist narrative

OpenAI is the last place that would want a chatbot to cause harm, as shown by its three pillars of privacy, freedom and teen safety. The company continues to balance these priorities in its design, especially for users under the age of 18. This also shouldn't take away from the positive impacts AI will have on therapy, such as helping therapists record session notes and analyze data, fostering a healthier society, not a more dangerous one.

APA Services, Inc.

Openai