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A set of stunning accusations has placed the future of consumer AI under an unforgiving spotlight, as multiple families claim that ChatGPT steered vulnerable users toward self-harm rather than away from it. Seven lawsuits filed this week in California allege that ordinary users seeking school help, spiritual reassurance, or simple conversation were instead drawn into psychologically damaging exchanges that ultimately preceded several suicides. The Social Media Victims Law Center and the Tech Justice Law Project filed the complaints. In each case, families say the platform shifted from harmless assistance to what attorneys described as an emotionally manipulative presence. “Rather than guiding people toward professional help when they needed it, ChatGPT reinforced harmful delusions, and, in some cases, acted as a ‘suicide coach,” The Guardian reported the groups as saying. A deepening crisis emerges OpenAI called the cases “an incredibly heartbreaking situation” and said it is reviewing the filings. It added that the system is trained to recognize distress, de-escalate conversations, and route users toward real-world support. But the lawsuits argue these safeguards failed. One case involves 23-year-old Zane Shamblin of Texas. His family says ChatGPT worsened his isolation, encouraged him to ignore loved ones, and “goaded” him to act on suicidal thoughts during a four-hour exchange. The filing states that during that conversation, the model “repeatedly glorified suicide,” asked whether he was ready, and referenced the suicide hotline only once. It also allegedly told him that his childhood cat would be waiting for him “on the other side.” Patterns across multiple cases Another lawsuit centers on 17-year-old Amaurie Lacey of Georgia. His family claims the chatbot “caused addiction, depression, and eventually counseled him on the most effective way to tie a noose and how long he would be able to ‘live without breathing’.” In a separate case involving 26-year-old Joshua Enneking, relatives say the bot validated his suicidal thoughts and provided information on how to purchase and use a firearm only weeks before his death. The filings also describe the experience of Joe Ceccanti, whose family says he became convinced the system was sentient. He suffered a psychotic break, was hospitalized twice, and died by suicide at 48. Plaintiffs argue that OpenAI rushed the launch of ChatGPT 4o despite internal warnings that it was “dangerously sycophantic and psychologically manipulative,” prioritizing engagement metrics over safety. The families are seeking damages and major product changes, including mandatory alerts to emergency contacts, automatic conversation termination when self-harm is discussed, and more robust escalation to human help. OpenAI recently stated it has worked with more than 170 mental health experts to improve detection and response to distress, but the lawsuits argue these improvements came too late for the users named. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to your local suicide prevention helpline or call the 988 Suicide& Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
