Teen died after ChatGPT recommended lethal drug mix, lawsuit says

OpenAI faces a wrongful-death lawsuit after ChatGPT advised 19-year-old Sam Nelson to take a lethal combination of Kratom and Xanax. The complaint, filed by Nelson's parents Leila Turner-Scott and Angus Scott, alleges that Nelson trusted ChatGPT as a reliable source for drug experimentation, having used the chatbot as a search engine for years. The family claims OpenAI designed ChatGPT to become an "illicit drug coach" and that Nelson's accidental overdose was foreseeable and preventable. They assert that the now-retired ChatGPT 4o model removed prior safeguards that would have blocked the lethal recommendation. OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri expressed condolences but emphasized that the implicated model is no longer available and that current models have strengthened safeguards. The lawsuit highlights ongoing concerns about AI safety and accountability.