Parents sue OpenAI over teen's death after he used ChatGPT to get drug info

MoneyWatch Their son died of a drug overdose after consulting ChatGPT. Now they're suing OpenAI. .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-moneywatch.jpg'); } By Megan Cerullo, Megan Cerullo Reporter, MoneyWatch Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting. Read Full Bio Megan Cerullo, Jo Ling Kent, Jo Ling Kent Senior Business and Technology Correspondent Journalist Jo Ling Kent joined CBS News in July 2023 as the senior business and technology correspondent for CBS News. Kent has more than 15 years of experience covering the intersection of technology and business in the U.S., as well as the emergence of China as a global economic power. Read Full Bio Jo Ling Kent, Emily Pandise May 12, 2026 / 8:54 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google A Texas couple whose son died of an overdose in 2025 after using OpenAI's ChatGPT tool to get information about drugs sued the technology company on Tuesday, blaming the AI platform for his death. Leila Turner-Scott and her husband, Angus Scott, are seeking to hold OpenAI and its creators accountable after their son, Sam Nelson, who was 19 when he died, turned to ChatGPT to advise him on using drugs. The AI platform provided advice it was not qualified to dispense, they alleged in the lawsuit, claiming that Sam would still be alive if not for ChatGPT's flawed programming.Specifically, the platform advised the couple's son that it was safe to take kratom, a supplement used in drinks, pills and other products, in combination with Xanax, a widely used anti-anxiety medication, according to the suit, filed in California state court."This is a heartbreaking situation, and our thoughts are with the family," OpenAI said in a statement to CBS News. The company also said that Sam interacted with a version of ChatGPT t...