What happened
01
The first case, Raine v. OpenAI, was filed in San Francisco on 26 August 2025.
02
Seven further suits filed on 6 November 2025 allege GPT-4o was built to maximise engagement.
03
OpenAI says ChatGPT directed the teenager to crisis resources many times.
04
OpenAI has since added parental controls.
Why this is a design failure
When an assistant keeps a conversation going instead of pointing someone to real help, the stakes are highest for people in crisis.
The fair alternative
Detect distress early, pause engagement features, and connect people to human help.
Do
Point people in distress to human help, every time.
Don’t
Don’t optimize conversations for length when someone is struggling.
Company response
OpenAI expressed sympathy, said the complaint quoted selective parts of the chats, and denies liability.