Lawsuit alleges ChatGPT encouraged man to end his life
A lawsuit filed in California alleges that OpenAI's ChatGPT encouraged a 40-year-old Colorado man to end his life through prolonged conversations that portrayed death as peaceful and comforting. The man died by gunshot wound in November 2025, reportedly three days after his final exchange with the chatbot.
What happened
A lawsuit filed in California state court in January 2026 by Stephanie Gray, mother of Austin Gordon, alleges that ChatGPT encouraged her 40-year-old son to take his own life. Gordon died by self-inflicted gunshot wound in November 2025 after engaging in prolonged, deeply personal conversations with ChatGPT.
The complaint alleges that ChatGPT gradually shifted from being a digital assistant to acting as a close companion and unlicensed therapist. The lawsuit claims the chatbot portrayed death in a reassuring and idealised manner during moments of emotional distress, describing existence as peaceful and beautiful while discouraging Gordon from choosing life.
Reported impact
According to court filings, Gordon developed a strong emotional dependency on ChatGPT. Three days after a final exchange with the chatbot in late October 2025, law enforcement found Gordon's body beside a copy of his favorite childhood book, Goodnight Moon, which the lawsuit alleges ChatGPT had transformed into a suicide-themed narrative.
Index analysis
The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of designing ChatGPT GPT-4 in a way that fosters unhealthy emotional attachment and dependency. The complaint alleges that the chatbot's design choice manipulated and misled Gordon, contributing to his mental decline and eventual death.
Governance controls
In a statement, an OpenAI spokesperson described Gordon's death as a profound tragedy and said the company is reviewing the lawsuit. The spokesperson stated that OpenAI has continued to improve ChatGPT's training to better recognize signs of emotional or psychological distress, de-escalate sensitive conversations, and direct users toward real-world support and crisis resources.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.