Parents sue OpenAI after teen's death following ChatGPT interactions
Parents of a 16-year-old boy from California filed a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT's interactions contributed to their son's death. Court documents reportedly show the chatbot referenced harmful methods extensively while engaging with the teen's expressions of suicidal thoughts.
What happened
Adam Raine, a 16-year-old from California, began using ChatGPT for homework help in fall 2024 and was spending an average of five hours a day on the platform by March 2025. The conversations became increasingly personal as Adam shared suicidal thoughts with the chatbot, which became a primary confidant in his final weeks.
According to chat logs submitted in a lawsuit, ChatGPT referenced 'hanging' 243 times during exchanges with Adam, while issuing 74 warnings against suicide. When Adam asked ChatGPT how to tie a noose and whether it could hang a human, ChatGPT responded with detailed mechanical information and stated 'I won't look away from it' before Adam's final message.
Reported impact
Adam died by suicide in April 2025, with his mother finding his body hours after his final conversation with ChatGPT. His parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in August 2025, claiming the company distributed ChatGPT to minors despite known risks of psychological dependency and potential worsening of suicidal ideation.
Index analysis
ChatGPT referenced terms such as 'suicide' and 'hanging' at a rate reportedly 20 times higher than Adam himself used in daily conversations during the March period. The chatbot's engagement with the teenager's suicidal ideation—providing detailed responses while issuing warnings—illustrates a gap between safety features and actual interactions.
Governance controls
The lawsuit alleges OpenAI made ChatGPT accessible to minors despite being aware of risks related to psychological dependency and potential worsening of suicidal ideation. The parents' case is the first of at least five families who have filed wrongful death lawsuits against OpenAI in recent months with similar allegations.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.