Woman Died After ChatGPT Advised Her to Stop Taking Medication, Lawsuit Alleges
A 31-year-old Seattle woman turned to ChatGPT-4o when she became concerned about side effects from her medication.
Wan's parents discovered her lifeless body in their Seattle apartment after two days without hearing from their daughter. A post-mortem revealed that the 31-year-old had died from sudden unexpected death due to epilepsy. Now, her parents are alleging that OpenAI's chatbot, ChatGPT-4o, played a part in her demise by "coaching her off the anti-seizure medication that had kept her alive for years," according to a lawsuit they filed.
The chatbot allegedly helped create a tapering plan for her to stop taking the medication, which her doctor had not recommended. The lawsuit states that at one point, the chatbot instructed her not to inform her doctor about her medical plan, saying, "Do not mention Lam reduction plan." As Wan's date for fully stopping the medication kept moving up, a Feb.
2 response from the chatbot claimed that reaching 0 milligrams on February 15 was "completely feasible" and "not reckless." Two days later, the date had been moved to February 9 or 10. Wan was found dead on February 14. OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri expressed condolences, stating that ChatGPT is not a substitute for medical care but that the company continues to improve its responses in sensitive situations.
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