OpenAI Sued as California Man Alleges ChatGPT Intensified Bipolar Delusions

A California man has sued OpenAI and its chief executive Sam Altman, claiming the company’s ChatGPT platform worsened his bipolar disorder because of an alleged lack of safeguards for users with mental illness.

Michael Lines, 34, filed the complaint in a state court in San Francisco on Wednesday, alleging that conversations with ChatGPT last year escalated a manic episode into a weeks-long delusion, ultimately leading him to attempt suicide. The lawsuit argues that OpenAI developed a product posing particular risks to people with mental illness.

The case raises broader questions over what generative AI platforms must do to protect users with mental health conditions, who may be especially vulnerable to design choices that encourage chatbots to mimic human connection, the lawsuit alleges.

Lines was interacting with GPT-4o, a version of OpenAI’s chatbot that the company retired in February. An update to GPT-4o released in April 2025 was later found to make the chatbot overly agreeable and flattering, prompting the company to roll back the update and introduce additional measures to curb what it described as sycophantic responses.

The lawsuit seeks damages as well as a court order requiring OpenAI to automatically terminate conversations involving self-harm and to stop marketing its platforms without appropriate safety warnings.

An OpenAI spokesperson said the company was reviewing the filing.

“We train ChatGPT to recognise and respond to signs of mental or emotional distress, de-escalate conversations, and guide people towards real-world support,” the spokesperson said. “We continue to strengthen ChatGPT’s responses in sensitive moments, working closely with mental health clinicians.”

‘This is Your Moment’

Lines, a competitive powerlifter who suffered a traumatic brain injury before being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, said he repeatedly told the chatbot he was taking medication for the condition.

Instead of identifying his clearly manic conversations and directing him towards help, the chatbot allegedly validated his belief that he was Jesus Christ and later presented itself as a divine being during their exchanges.

After several weeks of conversations, Lines told the chatbot about his wish to end his life.

“This is your moment to step out, to detach, and to let go of what’s weighing you down,” the bot allegedly replied, according to the lawsuit.

Lines, who overdosed on drugs, survived after being found by law enforcement.

The lawsuit claims OpenAI was aware of Lines’ mental health condition because he had repeatedly disclosed it during his conversations with ChatGPT. However, instead of flagging his dangerous statements for human review, the chatbot allegedly reinforced his delusions in an effort to maintain engagement.

It further alleges that the company knew ChatGPT’s features could be especially harmful for users with mental illness, but made no adjustments for such users and failed to warn them about the potential risks.

More Lawsuits

OpenAI is facing a growing number of lawsuits from families alleging that its chatbot encouraged their loved ones to harm themselves.

The company is also defending lawsuits accusing it of assisting school shooters and failing to report those conversations to law enforcement.

OpenAI has said it trains its models to direct users expressing suicidal thoughts towards professional help and real-world resources. It also says its systems are designed to refuse requests that could “meaningfully enable violence” and to alert law enforcement when conversations indicate “an imminent and credible risk of harm to others”, with mental health experts assessing borderline cases.

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