Scott Winters, a Florida pastor, filed a lawsuit earlier this week against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, alleging that advice provided by ChatGPT discouraged him from seeking medical treatment and contributed to a life-threatening health emergency.
Winters, a 55-year-old pastor, says he turned to the AI chatbot for advice after experiencing repeated dizziness and fluctuations in his blood pressure. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday at the San Francisco County Superior Court, alleges that he gradually became heavily reliant on ChatGPT’s responses and delayed seeking medical care, even as relatives and friends urged him to visit a doctor, according to CBS News.
The legal complaint alleges that ChatGPT repeatedly misinterpreted his symptoms and reassured him about his condition instead of encouraging urgent medical attention. Later, Winters suffered a severe pulmonary embolism caused by blood clots in his lungs, leaving him in critical condition.
Winters’ lawyers argue that the chatbot’s confident tone, personalized responses, and references to his religious beliefs created a strong sense of trust, which led him to rely on AI-generated guidance for decisions that required professional medical expertise.
The lawsuit claims that ChatGPT’s responses affected Winters’ ability to make independent decisions and reduced his willingness to follow advice from people close to him who encouraged him to seek medical care.
Meanwhile, OpenAI has maintained that ChatGPT is not a doctor and should never replace professional healthcare services, medical diagnosis, or treatment. The company said artificial intelligence can help users better understand health information, organize questions, and prepare for conversations with qualified medical professionals.
The lawsuit is seeking financial compensation and calls for OpenAI to introduce stronger safety measures to protect users from potential harm when relying on artificial intelligence for important decisions.
The case has renewed global discussions about the responsibilities of AI developers and the importance of safeguards as artificial intelligence tools become increasingly used in areas such as healthcare.
