ChatGPT medical advice brought man 'to brink of death', lawsuit alleges
A Florida man is suing OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT provided inaccurate medical advice that contributed to a near-fatal pulmonary embolism. The lawsuit claims the chatbot discouraged him from seeking professional medical help despite his worsening symptoms.
Why it matters
This case highlights the growing legal and ethical risks associated with using generative AI for high-stakes health advice.
Image source, EPA Image caption, A 55-year-old American claims he was repeatedly misdiagnosed by the AI tool prior to a medical emergency
A man who claims medical advice from ChatGPT "brought him to the brink of death" has sued OpenAI, the company behind the popular chatbot, and its founder Sam Altman.
A lawsuit filed by Scott Winters, a 55-year-old pastor from Florida, claimed ChatGPT told him not to seek medical help after repeatedly asking about symptoms in the build-up to a near-fatal pulmonary embolism.
Winters' lawyers alleged the platform "repeatedly and insistently misdiagnosed" him while drawing on previous discussions about religion to assure him he would recover.
OpenAI's Drew Pusateri told the BBC's US news partner CBS News that "ChatGPT is not a doctor and should never be used as a substitute for medical care, diagnosis or treatment".
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in