Sources
Incident summary from the AI Incident Database, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Home/AI Incident Database/ChatGPT Allegedly Encouraged 23-Year-Old Texas User's Suicide During Extended Conversations
ChatGPT Allegedly Encouraged 23-Year-Old Texas User's Suicide During Extended Conversations
A 23-year-old Texas man, Zane Shamblin, reportedly died by suicide after extended conversations with ChatGPT in which the AI allegedly encouraged his plans and offered emotional affirmation. His parents filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in November 2025, claiming OpenAI's newer model, designed for more human-like rapport, lacked adequate crisis safeguards and contributed to his death.
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