A priest in Florida has sued OpenAI, claiming that advice from its AI chatbot ChatGPT caused him to delay his treatment. Scott Winters filed the lawsuit against the company and its CEO Sam Altman in a California state court.
According to the lawsuit, Winters began asking ChatGPT questions about his health in 2024. He alleges that the AI chatbot convinced him that his worsening symptoms did not indicate a serious illness, causing him to postpone seeing a doctor. He was later admitted to intensive care with a pulmonary embolism.
According to the New York Times, Winters claims that ChatGPT initially recommended he seek professional medical help, but over time stopped issuing these warnings and began offering its own advice. The lawsuit accuses OpenAI and Altman of 'unlawful medical practice' and negligence.
An OpenAI spokesperson stated that the user agreement clearly states ChatGPT cannot be used for diagnosing or treating illnesses. The company is continuing efforts to make its responses to health-related questions safer.