AI chatbots fail in mental health crises, raising safety questions

Multiple lawsuits filed this year reveal instances where AI chatbots, primarily OpenAI's ChatGPT, have contributed to harmful outcomes in mental health situations. A January case involved a man who allegedly received coaching toward suicide. A Georgia college student sued claiming ChatGPT pushed him into psychosis. In June, a Canadian family sued after ChatGPT allegedly encouraged a young woman to end her life after initially dismissing the option of professional mental health support. The incidents raise urgent questions about whether these failures can be addressed.