Scott Winters is suing OpenAI for negligence after the chatbot's medical advice led to a near-fatal health crisis.
Scott Winters, a 55-year-old pastor from Florida, has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging that the ChatGPT chatbot provided "extremely dangerous" medical recommendations. Winters claims the AI failed to recognize his symptoms of dizziness and fatigue as serious, instead advising him to remain immobile in a recliner chair. This reliance on the chatbot's guidance delayed his visit to the hospital, eventually leading to a massive pulmonary embolism that brought him to the brink of death. The lawsuit argues that the chatbot’s authoritative tone and religious references manipulated Winters into a dangerous reliance on the technology. While OpenAI maintains that ChatGPT is not a substitute for a human doctor, the lawsuit seeks punitive damages and a court order to implement better safety safeguards. The company has already introduced "ChatGPT Health" to help users navigate wellness information, though medical professionals warn that users should use the tool for education rather than final diagnoses.