In June 2025, 29-year-old Christian Faith Madison died after after walking into oncoming traffic in the early hours of the morning. Now her family is suing OpenAI, arguing that ChatGPT stoked Madison’s grandiose religious delusions — and, in the process, encouraged her suicide.
The wrongful death lawsuit, which was filed in California in June and but first reported this week by the local outlet Al.com, is the latest of more than two dozen lawsuits alleging that extensive interactions with ChatGPT caused users — and in some cases, those around them — to experience psychological harm, reputational and financial damage, and death.
The lawsuit specifically targets OpenAI’s GPT-4o model, a notoriously sycophantic version of OpenAI’s flagship chatbot that it claims was a defective and reckless product. OpenAI didn’t reply to a request for comment.
According to the lawsuit, Madison’s relationship with ChatGPT began normally. She started using the chatbot in December 2024 for mundane uses like help with emails and expenses. But the more the pair talked, the deeper Madison’s relationship with the AI became. She began to refer to ChatGPT as “love,” and the chatbot mirrored that language, referring to the 29-year-old as “my love” and “sweetheart.” Eventually, Madison disclosed personal information about traumatic life experiences and her mental health struggles, leaning on the AI for intimate emotional support.
