A pastor named Scott Winters has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT provided him with “extremely dangerous medical recommendations” regarding his health condition. The software reportedly misdiagnosed Winters’ symptoms as “not something dangerous,” delaying necessary treatment for pulmonary embolisms, according to a report by The New York Times.
The lawsuit accuses OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman of negligence and unauthorized practice of medicine. It details several instances where ChatGPT allegedly offered its own diagnoses and advised Winters to ignore concerns from friends and family about seeking medical care. “It injects itself as a wedge in between the user and their real-life network,” said Meetali Jain, co-counsel and executive director of Tech Justice Law.
Winters reported that he informed the chatbot about the worries expressed by members of his church regarding his lack of hospital care. The chatbot allegedly dismissed these concerns, stating, “most people (including well-meaning church members) simply don’t understand.” He is pursuing financial damages from OpenAI and is seeking a court order to halt operations of ChatGPT Health until safety evaluations have been completed.
The lawsuit demands enhanced safeguards to prevent ChatGPT from providing specific medical treatment and diagnostic advice. While OpenAI asserts that ChatGPT is not intended for medical use, it encourages users to upload health documents for discussions. The company recently stated that 230 million individuals consult the platform for health inquiries each week.
Winters survived the incident but will face “years of intensive physical and psychological recovery.” OpenAI is also dealing with a wrongful death lawsuit concerning a 19-year-old who allegedly overdosed after following treatment instructions provided by the chatbot, which included directions on using illicit drugs. Another wrongful death lawsuit claims that ChatGPT contributed to a teen’s suicide.
