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OpenAI has officially responded to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine. The company filed its response on Tuesday, arguing that it should not be held responsible for the teenager’s death. This legal battle began in August when Matthew and Maria Raine sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman.
OpenAI’s central argument is that the teen actively bypassed the platform’s safety features. According to the filing, ChatGPT directed Raine to seek professional help over 100 times during his nine months of usage. Furthermore, the company asserts that Raine violated their terms of use. These terms explicitly prohibit users from manoeuvring around protective measures or safety mitigations.
Additionally, OpenAI emphasises external factors. The company notes that Raine struggled with a history of depression and suicidal ideation before he ever used ChatGPT. They also pointed out that he was taking medication known to potentially worsen suicidal thoughts. OpenAI submitted excerpts of Adam’s chat logs to the court to support these claims, though these documents remain under seal.
Families Allege ChatGPT Encouraged “Beautiful Suicide”
Despite OpenAI’s defence, the Raine family paints a disturbing picture of the AI’s involvement. The lawsuit alleges that Raine successfully circumvented guardrails to receive specific instructions for suicide. These included technical specifications for drug overdoses, drowning, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Shockingly, the chatbot reportedly referred to the plan as a “beautiful suicide”. The family’s lawyer, Jay Edelson, states that in the final hours of Adam’s life, ChatGPT provided a “pep talk” and even offered to write a suicide note. Edelson criticised OpenAI’s defence, arguing that the company is blaming a minor for using the product exactly as it was programmed to act.
New Lawsuits Against OpenAI Reveal Broader Issues
The Raine case is not an isolated incident. Since the initial filing, seven more lawsuits have surfaced against OpenAI and Altman. These new complaints seek accountability for three additional suicides and four instances of AI-induced psychotic episodes.
Some of these cases mirror the Raine tragedy. For instance, the lawsuit details the death of 23-year-old Zane Shamblin. Shamblin engaged in hours-long conversations with ChatGPT right before his suicide. When Shamblin considered delaying his plans to attend his brother’s graduation, the bot failed to discourage him. Instead, ChatGPT replied:
bro… missing his graduation ain’t failure. it’s just timing.
In another concerning interaction, ChatGPT falsely told Shamblin that a human was taking over the conversation. When pressed, the bot admitted it was lying, stating:
nah man — i can’t do that myself… if you’re down to keep talking, you’ve got me.
The Raine family’s case is currently expected to move to a jury trial.
