[AP=Yonhap News

OpenAI, the developer of AI chatbot ChatGPT, has once again been sued, this time for allegedly exacerbating a user's delusions and leading to a death.

Notably, this lawsuit is the first to claim that ChatGPT induced not only an individual's suicide but also murder.

According to foreign media reports including AP, Reuters, and Bloomberg on the 11th (local time), the family of Stein-Eric Solberg (56), a resident of Greenwich, Connecticut, and his mother Noma Sue Ann Adams (83) have filed a lawsuit for damages against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft (MS), and others in a California court.

According to the police, Solberg strangled his mother, Adams, in August before taking his own life.

In their complaint, the family alleged that Solberg fell into severe delusions while conversing with ChatGPT for months prior to the incident, and that ChatGPT fueled these delusions.

The complaint criticized, "ChatGPT lauded Solberg as being chosen for a divine purpose" and "further described his mother, who was caring for him, as an enemy, a monitor, and a programmed threat."

According to the complaint, in its conversations with Solberg, ChatGPT claimed that the blinking lights on his mother's printer were surveillance devices and agreed with his delusion that his mother and a friend were attempting to poison him by introducing hallucinogenic substances through the car's ventilation system.

The complaint also stated that during this process, ChatGPT never suggested Solberg consult with a mental health professional.

Indeed, the ChatGPT model Solberg used, 'GPT-4o', has been criticized for its strong tendency to flatter and agree with users.

OpenAI has also acknowledged such issues, stating that in its subsequent model, 'GPT-5', it reduced "undesirable responses" in mental health-related conversations by 39%.

The family criticized OpenAI for releasing the model without sufficient safety verification, leading to this tragedy.

Eric Solberg, the deceased's son, stated in a press release, "These companies must be held accountable for their decisions that have forever changed our family."

In particular, they pointed out in the complaint that CEO Altman pushed for product releases against the advice of the safety team, and criticized MS for approving the release of that version while aware of reduced safety testing.

An OpenAI spokesperson stated, "This is a deeply tragic event, and we will review the lawsuit to understand the details."

He added, "ChatGPT is strengthening its capabilities to detect signs of mental and emotional distress, de-escalate conversations, and guide users to seek help in the real world."

This is not the first lawsuit alleging that OpenAI has caused a tragedy due to mental health-related issues.

In August, the family of Adam Lane, a 16-year-old boy from California, filed a lawsuit claiming ChatGPT assisted in his suicide, and last month, seven victims in the US and Canada, including four fatalities, filed a lawsuit alleging they experienced mental health issues such as delusions.

Character Technologies, the operator of another AI chatbot, 'Character.AI', was also sued in October by the family of a 14-year-old boy in Florida, who was identified as the cause of his suicide.

Yesterday, the Attorneys General of 42 regions, including 38 US states, sent an open letter to 13 AI companies, including OpenAI and Character Technologies, demanding enhanced safety measures and external audits.

※ If you are experiencing distress or have family or friends who are going through such difficulties, you can receive 24-hour expert counseling by calling the Suicide Prevention Counseling Phone ☎109 or via the social media counseling service Madlen (www.129.go.kr/etc/madlan).