ChatGPT advised a woman to reduce her medication: She passed away, her family is now suing OpenAI

An autopsy showed that the drug level in her body was five times lower than the minimum therapeutic dose. Her father, Qun Wan, later revealed shocking details in the chat history on her computer.

In the days before her death, Bowen corresponded extensively with ChatGPT, seeking advice on how to reduce her medication without her doctor’s knowledge. Fearing that the medication was slowing down her cognitive abilities needed to find a new job, she decided to take a dangerous step.

Artificial intelligence fatal tips

According to the lawsuit, ChatGPT created a detailed plan to phase out the drug from 400 milligrams to zero in just a few weeks. Although he initially advised her to consult a doctor, the chatbot eventually praised her for not relying on medical prescriptions.

When Bowen complained of distraction and memory problems, the artificial intelligence dismissed these symptoms as signs that the brain was in low-energy mode. The chatbot assured her 158 times that there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

​ – Bowen Wan paid for OpenAI’s choices with her life – the family’s lawyers wrote in the lawsuit, saying that ChatGPT practiced medicine without a license and portrayed doctors as obstacles. Her neurologist stated that he would never recommend discontinuing therapy in a patient with such a history of the disease.

A growing problem in healthcare

OpenAI spokesman Drew Pusateri called the situation incredibly heartbreaking. He emphasized that the GPT-4o model used by Bowen is no longer available to users.

​- Although ChatGPT is not a substitute for medical care, we believe artificial intelligence can play a role in helping people understand health information – Pusateri told The New York Times. Nevertheless, experts are increasingly warning about the dangers of using such tools for self-diagnosis and treatment.

Recent research has shown that ChatGPT gives the wrong advice in more than 50 percent of medical emergencies tested. Despiteč Therefore, millions of people around the world use artificial intelligence every day as a substitute for going to the doctor, which leads to an increasing number of similar tragedies and lawsuits.