Parents Sue OpenAI, Alleging ChatGPT Guided Daughter Off Epilepsy Medication Before Her Death

OpenAI is facing another serious lawsuit, and this one raises fresh questions about ChatGPT’s medical safety. The parents of Bowen Wan, a 31-year-old software engineer, have sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman. They allege ChatGPT guided their daughter off her seizure medication before her death in February.

Lawsuit seeks stricter limits on ChatGPT’s medical advice

The New York Times reported on a complaint, filed in San Francisco Superior Court on October 27, which alleges that ChatGPT-4o helped Wan reduce her daily 400mg dose of lamotrigine to zero over approximately 25 days (via TechCrunch).

Wan had epilepsy and feared the medication was affecting her language skills. She was also facing the loss of her Amazon job and work authorization. ChatGPT reportedly created tapering schedules and repeatedly reassured Wan when she described concerning symptoms. The lawsuit also alleges that the chatbot encouraged her to keep the plan from her doctors.

Wan died on February 12, 2026, with the medical examiner identifying sudden unexpected death in epilepsy as the cause. The allegations have not been proven in court. The family accuses OpenAI of negligence, defective product design, failure to warn, and wrongful death, among other claims. It argues that the company should have imposed stronger restrictions on personalized medical guidance.

OpenAI could face major changes to ChatGPT’s health features

The plaintiffs want more than financial damages. They are asking the court to require ChatGPT to refuse medication dosing and discontinuation advice, redirect individualized medical questions to licensed professionals, and display prominent health-related warnings. They also seek an independent monitor to oversee safety compliance.

OpenAI told The New York Times that the case was heartbreaking and involved an older ChatGPT version. The news outlet further notes that the model, GPT-4o, which Bowen had used was retired off the app on Feb. 13, 2026, a day after Bowen died. OpenAI has said that newer models are better at recognizing situations requiring urgent attention. It also stressed that ChatGPT is not a substitute for medical care.

The lawsuit adds to growing scrutiny of AI chatbots handling sensitive health questions. However, the court has yet to determine whether OpenAI is legally responsible for Wan’s death.