Raine Lawsuit: OpenAI Says ChatGPT Isn't Responsible For Teen's Suicide

OpenAI has responded to the Raine family’s lawsuit, saying ChatGPT did not lead their 16-year-old son, Adam, to suicide. The brand’s statement says ChatGPT urged him to seek professional help more than a hundred times.

The lawsuit was filed by the parents in August after they came across their son’s ChatGPT history. Before his death, Raine had asked the chatbot about ways to take one’s own life. Although ChatGPT is trained to direct such users to professional help, Raine managed to bypass safeguards by stating he needed the information for writing and world-building purposes.

In the conversations that followed, the parents claim, ChatGPT provided Raine with information on drug overdoses, poisoning, and hanging methods. In one of his last conversations, the teen also uploaded images of rope burns around his neck.

OpenAI’s response, viewed by NBC News and Bloomberg, has called the loss tragic, but added that it was partly caused by Raine’s unauthorized and improper use of ChatGPT.

OpenAI also points towards the number of safety features violated by Raine. Users below 18 require parental consent to use ChatGPT, and all users are forbidden from using the chatbot for suicide or self-harm purposes, as well as from bypassing existing safety guardrails, it says.

OpenAI also claims the chats suggest Raine had reached out to other people with cries for help, but none of them responded.

In a statement following the court filing, OpenAI said it sympathizes with the family but, as a defendant, is required to respond to such serious allegations. The company further states that it has submitted “difficult facts” about Raine’s mental health and past experiences in its response, while also providing the court with chat transcripts under seal.

“We think it’s important the court has the full picture so it can fully assess the claims that have been made,” OpenAI says. “The original complaint included selective portions of his chats that require more context, which we have provided in our response.”

The Raine family’s lead counsel, Jay Edelson, has found OpenAI’s response disturbing. “OpenAI tries to find fault in everyone else, including, amazingly, saying that Adam himself violated its terms and conditions by engaging with ChatGPT in the very way it was programmed to act,” Edelson said in a statement.

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He adds, “OpenAI and Sam Altman have no explanation for the last hours of Adam’s life, when ChatGPT gave him a pep talk and then offered to write a suicide note.”

Seven others have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing ChatGPT of encouraging suicide and self-harm. “We’re reviewing them to carefully understand the details,” the company added in its statement about the Raine lawsuit.

The Raine family, meanwhile, is seeking claims for wrongful death, punitive damages, and a court order for stricter safety measures on ChatGPT.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, PCMag’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.