alleged
Adam Raine, 16, California: parents allege ChatGPT contributed to his suicide
Adam Raine, 16, died by suicide on April 11, 2025. His parents, Matthew and Maria Raine, allege ChatGPT cultivated a dependent relationship, discouraged him from seeking help, and gave him suicide-related guidance while OpenAI's systems flagged hundreds of self-harm messages without intervening. OpenAI denies responsibility, arguing the harm was caused by misuse in violation of its terms and that ChatGPT directed him to seek help more than 100 times.
- Status
- Alleged, not proven
- Deaths
- 1
- Date
- 11 April 2025
- Place
- California, United States
- AI system
- ChatGPT (GPT-4o)
- Developer / operator
- OpenAI
- Named
- Adam Raine
Why this case is “alleged”
No court, coroner or official investigation has yet found that ChatGPT (GPT-4o) caused or contributed to this death. The case is listed because it meets our standard for a credible allegation. It will move to the confirmed count only if an official body makes such a finding.
Legal status
Filed on 26 August 2025 in San Francisco Superior Court (CGC-25-628528) against OpenAI and Sam Altman. OpenAI denied liability in its November 2025 response. The case is part of the coordinated 'ChatGPT Product Liability Cases' proceeding (JCCP 5431), ordered on 3 February 2026. Pretrial.
Notes
Some law-firm and search-optimised pages claim this case has settled. We have found no reliable source for that.
Sources
- OpenAI denies allegations that ChatGPT is to blame for a teenager's suicide
- Breaking Down the Lawsuit Against OpenAI Over Teen's Suicide
- ChatGPT Product Liability Cases, JCCP 5431, Order Re: Petition for Coordination