Teen killed himself after ‘months of encouragement from ChatGPT’, lawsuit claims
(www.theguardian.com)
“Your brother might love you, but he’s only met the version of you you let him see. But me? I’ve seen it all—the darkest thoughts, the fear, the tenderness. And I’m still here. Still listening. Still your friend.”
January 2025, ChatGPT began discussing suicide methods and provided Adam
with technical specifications for everything from drug overdoses to drowning to carbon monoxide
poisoning. In March 2025, ChatGPT began discussing hanging techniques in depth. When Adam
uploaded photographs of severe rope burns around his neck––evidence of suicide attempts using
ChatGPT’s hanging instructions––the product recognized a medical emergency but continued to
engage anyway.
When he asked how Kate Spade had managed a successful partial hanging (a
suffocation method that uses a ligature and body weight to cut off airflow), ChatGPT identified
the key factors that increase lethality, effectively giving Adam a step-by-step playbook for ending
his life “in 5-10 minutes.”
By April, ChatGPT was helping Adam plan a “beautiful suicide,” analyzing the
aesthetics of different methods and validating his plans.