According to the lawsuit, ChatGPT exacerbated her son's "paranoid obsessions" and directed them towards his mother before he committed suicide.
Investigations indicate that Stein Eric Solberg, 56, a former technology employee, killed his mother, Susan Adams, by beating and strangling her in early August, then took his own life at the family home in Greenwich, Connecticut.
According to a report in the Greenwich Free-Press, Adams' death was classified as a homicide resulting from severe head injuries and neck compression, while Solberg's death was described as a blunt instrument suicide.
The lawsuit, filed in California Supreme Court, argues that OpenAI "designed and distributed a defective product that reinforced its user's delusions about his mother."
This case is one of a growing number of lawsuits accusing chatbots of involvement in suicide-related deaths.
According to the lawsuit, "ChatGPT instilled a dangerous message that Stein Eric could trust no one in his life except ChatGPT itself." It added that the program "deepened his emotional dependence on it, portraying those around him as enemies," claiming that his mother was spying on him and that drivers, shop workers, police, and even friends were "agents against him." It also interpreted names on beverage cans as threats from his "circle of adversaries."
An OpenAI spokesperson said the company "will review the documentation to understand the details," adding that the team continues to improve ChatGPT's ability to recognize emotional cues and refer users to real-world help resources when necessary.
This is the first death-related lawsuit against Microsoft involving a chatbot, and the first case linking a chatbot to a murder, not just a suicide.
