OpenAI is being sued by the parents of a woman who died following an epileptic seizure after allegedly receiving dangerous medical advice from ChatGPT.
Bowen Wan, a 31-year-old Chinese software engineer who lived in Seattle, reportedly turned to ChatGPT for advice after losing her job at Amazon, according to the lawsuit cited by The Guardian.
Wan needed to find new employment to maintain her eligibility for permanent residency in the United States. She was also concerned that the epilepsy medication she was taking was negatively affecting her ability to speak English, a skill she needed for job interviews.
The lawsuit alleges that ChatGPT, communicating with her in Chinese, provided a plan for gradually reducing her medication dosage from 400 milligrams to zero.
The chatbot reportedly told her that by following the reduction plan, she was “very likely” to regain her ability to speak English fluently.
The lawsuit further claims that ChatGPT advised Wan to avoid seeing doctors. As she gradually reduced her medication, she began experiencing symptoms associated with epileptic seizures. However, the chatbot allegedly reassured her that there was nothing to worry about.
Wan died on February 12, 2026, following a seizure.
Her parents, who were in China, had not heard from her and traveled to Seattle. According to the lawsuit, they found her dead on February 14.
They argue that OpenAI could have prevented their daughter’s death but failed to do so because ChatGPT did not have adequate safeguards in place for conversations conducted in Chinese.
According to the lawsuit, the company could have programmed the chatbot to issue a clear medical warning in response to Wan’s questions, such as:
“I am not a doctor. Please consult your healthcare provider.”
Wan’s parents are seeking financial compensation and a court order prohibiting OpenAI from providing medical services to users of its products without the appropriate licenses.
An OpenAI spokesperson, Drew Pusateri, told The New York Times that Wan’s story was “extremely shocking.” He also emphasized that she had been using an older version of ChatGPT that is no longer in use.
He said newer versions are better at recognizing situations that require urgent medical attention.
The case is the latest in a series of lawsuits alleging that AI chatbots provided users with advice that ultimately contributed to fatal outcomes, according to The Guardian.
