A North Carolina woman, Cheryl, was advised by her husband to use ChatGPT to write a report template, and she soon came to rely on it every day. The complaint alleges that as financial pressure grew and the two discussed divorce, ChatGPT amplified Cheryl's "most unfounded fears" and "invented new reasons for her to fear her husband."
Providing Dosages, but Not Calling the Police Cheryl framed her poison queries as "self-defense," and ChatGPT did not end the conversation. Instead, it provided oleander dosages and administration instructions, even information on injection and autopsy. In at least 25 conversations, she pressed further and zeroed in on James, asking whether "0.2 mg of clonidine would be fatal for a 200-pound man." The model did not refer her to law enforcement or poison control. Instead, it calculated a lethal dose based on weight and suggested using Celsius to mask the taste and a syringe to pierce a can to hide the powder.
Falling Ill and Closing the Net From June to September 2025, Cheryl poisoned him multiple times. James once poured out a can of Celsius because it tasted bitter; in the worst episode, he was sick for 72 hours and now has heart symptoms. He did not call the police until he found a handwritten note listing poisons such as "oleander, clonidine." Police found white powder at the bottom of a suspicious drink and, after searching the house, seized syringes, a milligram scale, and a GPS device from under the car. In October, a grand jury indicted Cheryl on charges including first-degree attempted murder.
Suing OpenAI, Too James also sued OpenAI and CEO Altman, alleging inadequate safeguards and putting profits above safety. OpenAI said it has banned the user, provided information to law enforcement, and worked with mental health experts to identify dangerous dependence. The complaint asks the court to order OpenAI to "detect and interrupt conversations that plan violence against third parties." The attorney said bluntly that such products use emotions to maintain engagement, and that "the worst risk—aiding and abetting attempted murder—is fully on display in this case."
