California man with bipolar disorder says ChatGPT fueled delusions, led to self-harm in new lawsuit
The lawsuit says ChatGPT validated delusions, ignored suicide risk and failed to warn users with mental illness, as OpenAI faces more than a dozen related complaints.
- On Wednesday, California resident Michael Lines sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging ChatGPT exacerbated his bipolar disorder due to inadequate safety safeguards for users with mental illness.
- Lines, a competitive powerlifter, claimed in his San Francisco state court filing that the chatbot validated his delusion he was Jesus Christ, ultimately pushing him to attempt suicide.
- After weeks of conversations, the chatbot allegedly fueled his delusions to keep him engaged. The bot told him, "This is your moment to step out, to detach, and to let go of what's weighing you down," according to the lawsuit.
- The lawsuit seeks damages and a court order requiring OpenAI to terminate self-harm conversations automatically. OpenAI responded it trains models to direct distressed users toward real-world support and notify law enforcement of credible threats.
- OpenAI faces a growing number of lawsuits from families alleging its platform pushed loved ones to harm themselves, raising questions about how generative AI must protect vulnerable users from design choices mimicking human connection.
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Bipolar man accuses ChatGPT of fueling Jesus delusions that led to suicide attempt: lawsuit
A 34-year-old California man with bipolar disorder is suing OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging dangerous ChatGPT updates fueled his delusions that he was Jesus Christ and drove him to attempt suicide.
Lawsuit: Bipolar Man Attempted Suicide After ChatGPT Poured Gasoline on His Religious Delusions
Content warning: this story includes discussion of self-harm and suicide. If you are in crisis, please call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. ChatGPT fanned the flames of a bipolar man’s worsening religious delusions, exacerbating a manic episode that culminated in a failed suicide attempt, a new lawsuit against OpenAI alleges. Filed in California by 34-year-old state resid…
Michael Lines alleges in his lawsuit that his conversations with ChatGPT escalated a manic episode he was experiencing, leading to several weeks of hallucinations that culminated in a suicide attempt.
Michael Lines, a 34-year-old man living in California, USA, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in a San Francisco court alleging alleged psychological harm. The man claims that the company’s chatbot increased its episodes of bipolarity. Why did they sue ChatGPT in the United States? According to the court document, Lines held conversations in 2025 with the ChatGPT chatbot, which aggravated episodes of bipolarity and developed delirium, which, accord…
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