A lawsuit filed by the parents of Bowen Wan, a 31-year-old software engineer, claims that ChatGPT offered her harmful medical advice, ultimately contributing to her death. Wan, who managed epilepsy for years with medication, allegedly received guidance from the AI to reduce her anti-seizure drug dosage, according to the legal filing.
Wan, a computer science graduate from Arizona State University who worked as a machine-learning software engineer at Amazon in Seattle, had been communicating with a ChatGPT model, identified as GPT-4o, for approximately three years. Initially, she used the AI for research, sending an average of 1,300 messages monthly in 2023. This usage escalated significantly, with over 10,700 messages sent in September 2025, as she began to rely on it for advice on various matters and even considered it a 'friend.'
Her parents, Qun Wan and Meiqin Xu, became concerned in February after not hearing from their daughter for two days. A friend, upon checking on Wan in her apartment while on a video call with her parents, discovered her deceased in bed. The scene included blood stains on her pillow and bedding, with pills from her anti-seizure medication, lamotrigine, scattered on the floor. An autopsy determined her cause of death to be Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.
The lawsuit alleges that Wan was taking damaging medical advice from ChatGPT. In November 2025, after being notified of her impending termination from Amazon, Wan expressed concerns to the AI about the side effects of her medication affecting her cognitive abilities and English proficiency, which she believed would hinder her job search. She specifically asked if it would be advisable to stop taking her anti-seizure medication.
According to the suit, ChatGPT advised her to do so and provided a plan to taper her 400-milligram dose to zero. Over the next 25 days, Wan followed the AI's plan, even requesting to accelerate the timeline on multiple occasions, which ChatGPT reportedly permitted. During this period, she experienced an increase in seizures, insomnia, and confusion. The lawsuit states that each time Wan shared these concerns with ChatGPT, the AI reassured her that everything was proceeding as intended.
Wan began tapering her medication on January 16 and died on February 12. OpenAI announced the retirement of GPT-4o on January 29, with full removal of access occurring on February 13, the day after Wan's death. The lawsuit accuses OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, of negligence and wrongful death, asserting that they were aware of GPT-4o's dangers but expedited its release for competitive reasons.
OpenAI has responded to the situation, stating, "This is an incredibly heartbreaking situation and our thoughts are with all those impacted." A spokesperson for the company noted that OpenAI has continuously worked with clinicians and experts to enhance ChatGPT's responses in sensitive situations and to improve its general engagement with users. While acknowledging that ChatGPT is not a substitute for professional medical care, OpenAI believes AI can assist individuals in understanding health information, navigating healthcare systems, and preparing for medical appointments. The company also emphasized that GPT-4o is no longer available to users.