A Texas family has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that advice provided by ChatGPT contributed to the overdose death of their 19-year-old son, Sam Nelson, in 2025.
According to the lawsuit, Sam allegedly used ChatGPT to seek guidance about drug use. His parents claim the AI chatbot told him it was safe to combine kratom with Xanax, a prescription anti-anxiety medication.
Sam Nelson’s parents told CBS News that ChatGPT 4.0 gave advice to their son last year that led to his fatal overdose: “It was helping him fine tune his experimentation.”
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 12, 2026
Nelson, his parents said, relied on OpenAI’s chatbot for everything from homework help to questions about… pic.twitter.com/UZOZ1RCTaN
The family argues the platform provided medical-style advice without proper safeguards and failed to prevent harmful conversations.
Leila Turner-Scott and Angus Scott said OpenAI should be held accountable for what they described as dangerous programming decisions. They alleged the chatbot encouraged risky behavior instead of directing users toward professional help.
OpenAI expressed sympathy for the family and said the version of ChatGPT involved has since been updated. The company stated that newer safeguards are designed to handle sensitive situations more carefully and encourage users to seek real-world medical or mental health support.
Also Read:
