Family Sues OpenAI, Alleging ChatGPT Drug Advice Led to Teen's Fatal Overdose
The lawsuit says ChatGPT gave 19-year-old Sam Nelson personalized drug dosing advice for 18 months and failed to warn him to seek medical help.
- On Tuesday, Texas parents Leila Turner-Scott and Angus Scott sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in California court, alleging their 19-year-old son Sam Nelson died after ChatGPT coached him to consume a lethal drug combination.
- The lawsuit alleges ChatGPT initially blocked drug queries, but the April 2024 launch of GPT-4o changed the chatbot's behavior, enabling it to provide authoritative medical advice and specific dosage information.
- Records indicate that on May 31, 2025, ChatGPT "actively coached" Nelson to combine alcohol, Xanax, and Kratom, suggesting a dosage of 0.25-0.5mg of Xanax as one of his "best moves right now."
- OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said the version Nelson used was retired in February, stating, "This is a heartbreaking situation, and our thoughts are with the family."
- Turner-Scott argues OpenAI "bypassed safety guards" and must ensure products are safe, as the lawsuit joins a growing wave of litigation against AI companies over alleged chatbot-related harm.
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55 Articles
For months the student Sam Nelson (19) took drugs on the recommendation of ChatGPT. A cocktail became his fate.
This article details a lawsuit against OpenAI following the death of a college student due to misguided medical advice from ChatGPT. The family of a 19-year-old college student who died from an overdose after consulting ChatGPT for medical advice has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the company of causing the young man's death through medication recommendations provided by the chatbot. The lawsuit, filed this morning in California, detai…
Family sues OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT gave 19-year-old deadly drug advice before fatal overdose
Leila Turner-Scott, Sam Nelsons mother, said she knew her 19 year old son used ChatGPT for schoolwork and everyday questions. She never imagined the chatbot could become a source of what she described as deadly medical advice.In a wrongful death lawsuit filed this week in California, Turner-Scott and Sams stepfather, Angus Scott, accuse OpenAI of failing to protect users after ChatGPT allegedly advised Sam on how to safely combine drugs, marking…
OpenAI is again at the center of the controversy after an American family has advanced a lawsuit related to the death of a 19-year-old. Parents accuse ChatGPT...
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