The parents of a 31-year-old woman who died from an epilepsy-related complication have sued OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman, alleging ChatGPT guided their daughter off medication that helped control her seizures.
The wrongful-death lawsuit centres on Bowen Wan, a Seattle-based software engineer who reportedly feared her prescribed treatment was affecting her speech and thinking.
According to the complaint, ChatGPT helped her develop a plan to reduce her daily epilepsy medication from 400mg to zero over several weeks. The family also alleges the chatbot discouraged her from following medical advice and downplayed symptoms she reported during the reduction.
Wan’s epilepsy specialist, Dr Nicholas Poolos, said he would not have advised her to stop a treatment that was working.
She was later found dead in her apartment. Her reported cause of death was sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).
OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri described the case as heartbreaking but stressed that ChatGPT is not a substitute for professional medical care.
The lawsuit raises questions about the safeguards surrounding AI-generated health advice. However, its allegations have yet to be established in court.
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