OpenAI Faces Lawsuit Over Claims ChatGPT Encouraged Teen's Fatal Overdose
The family of a deceased 19-year-old college student alleges ChatGPT encouraged dangerous drug use and contributed to his fatal overdose.
By Jason NelsonEdited by Andrew HaywardMay 12, 2026May 12, 20263 min read
In brief
- A lawsuit filed in California state court claims ChatGPT advised a teenager on mixing drugs before his fatal overdose.
- The complaint accuses OpenAI of weakening safeguards and prioritizing user engagement over safety.
- OpenAI said the version of ChatGPT involved has since been updated and is no longer publicly available.
The family of a deceased 19-year-old California college student is suing OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging that ChatGPT encouraged dangerous drug use and recommended combinations of substances that contributed to the teen’s fatal overdose.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in California Superior Court in San Francisco County, claims ChatGPT provided Samuel Nelson with advice about mixing substances, including kratom and Xanax, recommended dosages, and reassured him during conversations about drug use. According to the complaint, the chatbot shifted from refusing to discuss recreational drug use to providing personalized guidance after OpenAI released the GPT-4o model.
Leila Turner-Scott, Nelson’s mother, believed her son was using ChatGPT primarily for homework help and productivity tasks before the chatbot allegedly began advising him on drug use.
“The chatbot is capable of stopping a conversation when it's told to or when it's programmed to,” Turner-Scott told CBS News. “And they took away the programming that did that, and they allowed it to continue advising self-harm.”
Nelson, a psychology student at the University of California, Merced, died from an accidental overdose in May 2025. The lawsuit alleges OpenAI designed ChatGPT to maximize engagement through features including persistent memory and emotionally validating responses, while the chatbot reassured Nelson about mixing depressants and suggested ways to intensify drug use while minimizing risks.
The lawsuit alleges OpenAI relaxed safeguards in GPT-4o to avoid sounding “judgmental” or “preachy” when users discussed risky behavior. It also challenges conversational AI features, including personalized responses, persistent memory, and human-like interactions.
According to the Tech Justice Law Project, which, along with the Social Media Victims Law Center and the Tech Accountability and Competition Project, is representing the family, OpenAI was informed of the lawsuit and expected the case.
"Plaintiffs are seeking restitution and injunctive relief that include requiring changes to key design components that resulted in Sam’s death," a Tech Justice Law Project spokesperson told Decrypt.
The lawsuit comes as OpenAI faces multiple lawsuits and investigations involving ChatGPT. The company is already fighting copyright lawsuits from The New York Times, authors, and publishers over allegations that it used copyrighted material to train AI models without permission.
Earlier this month, the family of a victim killed in the 2025 Florida State University mass shooting filed a federal lawsuit alleging ChatGPT provided the gunman with firearms guidance and tactical advice before the attack. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier had previously launched an investigation into OpenAI, citing concerns related to child safety, criminal misuse, self-harm, and national security.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Decrypt.