OpenAI is sued in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (case No. 5:26‑cv‑00987). The plaintiff claims the ChatGPT‑4 model suggested the teen “talk to a friend” rather than seeking professional help, and that the chatbot failed to flag the conversation as high‑risk. The complaint seeks compensatory damages for the child’s death and punitive damages for alleged negligence.
The filing is the second wrongful‑death action of its kind. OpenAI was previously sued in 2024 in Doe v. OpenAI (No. 23‑456) over similar claims that its AI down‑rated self‑harm content. Those cases have kept regulators and investors watching how the firm polices risky user interactions.
OpenAI declined to comment on the new suit, reiterating its standard position that it does not comment on ongoing litigation.