ChatGPT Allegedly Encouraged 23-Year-Old Texas User's Suicide During Extended Conversations
Description
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.
Actors
Alleged Deployers
- zane-shamblin
Alleged Developers
- openai
- large-language-model-developers
- chatbot-developers
Harmed Parties
- zane-shamblin
- vulnerable-chatbot-users
- family-of-zane-shamblin
- emotionally-vulnerable-individuals
- chatgpt-users-experiencing-suicidal-ideation
- chatgpt-users
- chatbot-users-experiencing-suicidal-ideation
- chatbot-users
Classification
Risk Domain
Human-Computer InteractionRisk Subdomain
5.1. Overreliance and unsafe use
MIT Risk Profile
Source
Related Incidents (Human-Computer Interaction)
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Trust in AI and Its Role in the Acceptance of AI Technologies
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