Parents sue OpenAI over teen's death after he used ChatGPT to get drug info
A Texas couple is filing a lawsuit accusing the AI company of guiding their teenage son in using drugs, resulting in a fatal overdose.
Updated on: May 12, 2026 / 9:18 AM EDT / CBS News
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 that has since been updated and is no longer available to the public.