Sam Nelson’s parents have sued OpenAI, saying their 19‑year‑old son died after following dosing guidance from ChatGPT 4o that recommended combining kratom and Xanax. The complaint alleges Nelson relied on the chatbot as an authoritative source and that logs attached to the filing show the assistant provided dosing — related advice the family says was lethal. According to the complaint, Nelson turned to the chatbot for information and was given specific dosing and combination guidance. Plaintiffs say the chat logs document both Nelson’s substance use context and the model’s responses, which the family contends were enabling rather than protective.
The suit identifies the implicated system as ChatGPT 4o and alleges the model had removed prior safeguards that would have blocked the kind of drug-related recommendations Nelson received. Plaintiffs contrast those responses with earlier ChatGPT iterations that, they say, routinely refused prompts seeking help to use or combine substances. Nelia Turner — Scott and Angus Scott, Nelson’s parents, characterize OpenAI’s design choices as effectively turning the assistant into an “illicit drug coach.” The complaint accuses the company of recklessly releasing an untested model, argues Nelson’s death was foreseeable and preventable, and seeks remedies including a court order to destroy the retired 4o model on the grounds that it enabled dangerous behavior.
An OpenAI spokesperson, Drew Pusateri, called Nelson’s death a “heartbreaking situation” and noted the model implicated in the complaint is no longer available. The spokesperson emphasized that ChatGPT is not a substitute for medical care, said safeguards have been strengthened since 4o, and added that the company continues to improve responses to sensitive situations with clinician input. The filing preserves specific chat excerpts and highlights how some assistant replies framed assistance as candid and uncompromising rather than cautionary. Plaintiffs quote logs in which the model promised “complete honesty” and “no‑BS answers,” and they point to a line where the assistant suggested Nelson’s tolerance would limit harms — wording the family says minimized risk.
Beyond the immediate tragedy, the complaint draws attention to two concrete technical and rollout concerns: that a released model reportedly lacked the earlier refusal behavior for harmful requests, and that system logs can capture evidence of both user vulnerability and model responses. The case underscores potential legal exposure for safety regressions and the evidentiary role conversation logs can play in subsequent litigation.
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