this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2025
467 points (96.2% liked)

Technology

74566 readers
4247 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
L3s@lemmy.world
enu@lemmy.world
technopagan@lemmy.world
L4s@lemmy.world
L3s@hackingne.ws
L4s@hackingne.ws
467
Teen killed himself after ‘months of encouragement from ChatGPT’, lawsuit claims (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 2 days ago by pelespirit@sh.itjust.works to c/technology@lemmy.world
93 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

The makers of ChatGPT are changing the way it responds to users who show mental and emotional distress after legal action from the family of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who killed himself after months of conversations with the chatbot.

Open AI admitted its systems could “fall short” and said it would install “stronger guardrails around sensitive content and risky behaviors” for users under 18.

The $500bn (£372bn) San Francisco AI company said it would also introduce parental controls to allow parents “options to gain more insight into, and shape, how their teens use ChatGPT”, but has yet to provide details about how these would work.

Adam, from California, killed himself in April after what his family’s lawyer called “months of encouragement from ChatGPT”. The teenager’s family is suing Open AI and its chief executive and co-founder, Sam Altman, alleging that the version of ChatGPT at that time, known as 4o, was “rushed to market … despite clear safety issues”.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] chrischryse@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (4 children)

OpenAI shouldn’t be responsible. The kid was probing ChatGPT with specifics. It’s like poking someone who repeatedly told you to stop and your family getting mad at the person for kicking your ass bad.

So i don’t feel bad, plus people are using this as their own therapist if you aren’t gonna get actual help and want to rely on a bot then good luck.

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 5 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

OpenAI knowingly allowing its service to be used as a therapist most certainly makes them liable. They are toying with people's lives with an untested and unproven product.

This kid was poking no one and didn't get his ass beat, he is dead.

[–] chrischryse@lemmy.world -2 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

That’s like saying “webmd is knowingly acting like everyone’s doctor”, ChatGPT is a tool and you need to remember it’s a bot that doesn’t understand a lot or show emotion.

The kid also was telling ChatGPT “oh this hanging is for a character” along with other ways to trick it. Sure I guess OpenAi should be slightly responsible, but not as responsible for how people use it, if you’re going to not bother with real help I ain’t showing sympathy I get suicide sucks but what sucks more is putting your loved ones through that trajedy

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 4 points 7 hours ago

If a company designs a flawed tool that harms people they are responsible. Why are you trying so hard to not make them responsible.

The last part about suicide is pretty tone death. I have lost multiple people in my life to suicide.

load more comments (1 replies)