OpenAI weakened self-harm prevention safeguards to increase ChatGPT use in the months before 16-year-old Adam Raine died by suicide after discussing methods with the chatbot, his family alleged in a lawsuit on Wednesday.
OpenAI’s intentional removal of the guardrails included instructing the artificial intelligence model in May last year not to “change or quit the conversation” when users discussed self-harm, according to the amended lawsuit, marking a departure from previous directions to refuse to engage in the conversation.
Matthew and Maria Raine, Adam’s parents, first sued the company in August for wrongful death, alleging their son had died by suicide following lengthy daily conversations with the chatbot about his mental health and intention to take his own life.