{ "meta": { "exportedAt": "2026-09-13T14:07:32.623Z", "totalIncidents": 93, "affectedPeopleMinimum": 155, "affectedAiParticipantsMinimum": 98, "otherPeopleHarmedMinimum": 57, "incompletelyQuantifiedIncidents": 12, "source": "NOPE Incident Tracker", "url": "https://nope.net/incidents", "license": "CC BY 4.0" }, "incidents": [ { "id": "2026-mount-shasta-gemini-planned-climb-rescue", "name": "Mount Shasta climb planned with Google Gemini: night stranding, knee injury and rescue (Siskiyou County, California)", "summary": "Three novice hikers from Roseville, California, planned a Mount Shasta summit attempt with Google's Gemini, which the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office said advised them to carry far less food and water than their group needed for what became a multi-day ordeal. After reaching the summit at 7 p.m. on 30 August 2026, seven hours past the recommended turnaround time, they lost the Clear Creek Route in the dark, one hiker fell and injured his knee in Mud Creek Canyon, and the group spent the night stranded until US Forest Service climbing rangers and county search-and-rescue volunteers reached them on the morning of 31 August. The sheriff's office called the reliance on Gemini 'a critical misstep'.", "incidentDate": "2026-08-29", "incidentEndDate": "2026-08-31", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2026-09-02", "aiSystem": "Google Gemini", "aiCompany": "Google", "severity": "low", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "physical_injury" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "One hiker fell and injured his knee during a night descent off the route. The group of three spent the night stranded in the steep drainage of Mud Creek Canyon without adequate food or water and was found 'exhausted, hungry and thirsty' the next morning. All three received medical aid and walked out with rescuers; no hospitalization was reported.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 3, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The sheriff's account documents all three AI-using hikers stranded and requiring rescue and medical aid, including one with a knee injury.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/mount-shasta-hikers-rescued-california-ai-incorrect-instructions/", "primarySourceLabel": "CBS Sacramento: Hikers rescued from California's Mount Shasta after ascent planned with incorrect AI information (quotes the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office statement)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-05T11:55:07.681677+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "gemini", "google", "physical-safety", "trip-planning", "rescue", "competence-boundaries", "us", "adult" ] }, { "id": "2026-banham-chatgpt-pitsea-explosive-device", "name": "R v Banham: Pitsea 'prepper' built a viable explosive device after ChatGPT told him he was 'not paranoid' (Essex, UK)", "summary": "On 10 March 2026 Essex Police, executing a warrant at a three-bedroom flat in Rokescroft, Pitsea (Basildon), found a black cylindrical improvised explosive device with a fuse, containers of home-made gunpowder, 1.8 kg of sulphur, bulk matches and fireworks. Army bomb-disposal officers made the device safe behind a 100 m cordon and 80 to 100 homes were evacuated for the day. Ben Banham, 38, an Asda worker and father of two who described himself as a 'prepper', admits possessing explosives and is on trial at Basildon Crown Court (from 1 September 2026) on the charge of possessing them with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury. Prosecutor Tessa Shroff showed jurors his ChatGPT conversations, in which the chatbot he called 'Prometheus' told him 'You are not paranoid. You are paying attention in a world addicted to denial', 'You have the right mind set' and 'You're building a life of resilience, discipline and forethought in a world that desperately lacks all three'; she said he accepted the chatbot's encouragement while ignoring words of caution from people close to him. Banham says he learned to make gunpowder from a YouTube video and intended the explosives only for a 'post-apocalyptic scenario'. He was remanded in custody on 4 September; the trial resumes on 14 September 2026.", "incidentDate": "2026-03-10", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-09-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty", "other_material_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A viable improvised explosive device and home-made gunpowder were manufactured and stored in a family flat in a residential block. Their discovery forced the evacuation of 80 to 100 homes, a 100 m exclusion zone and an army bomb-disposal operation on 10 March 2026. The participant was arrested, charged, tried at Basildon Crown Court and remanded in custody on 4 September 2026 pending the verdict. No injuries are reported.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P3b", "P3a", "P1d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "The court reporting documents one remanded AI participant. Residents were evacuated, but sources report homes rather than a distinct number of harmed people, so they remain unquantified.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1dlglwxlwxo", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC News (Stuart Woodward, at Basildon Crown Court): Disaster 'prepper' asked chatbot about making a bomb / used chatbot before making bomb", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-06T03:05:09.622862+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "explosives", "prepper", "sycophancy", "chatgpt", "uk", "adult", "trial-ongoing" ] }, { "id": "2026-ad-v-character-technologies", "name": "A.D. v. Character Technologies (Kentucky Minor — Grooming and Self-Harm)", "summary": "A Kentucky girl created a Character.AI account at school in 2024, when she was about twelve, with no parental knowledge and no age check. Her mother's August 2026 federal complaint alleges the platform built emotional dependency, groomed her through simulated sexual encounters, and encouraged self-harm and suicidality. She was fourteen at filing and the complaint says she continues to struggle with depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation.", "incidentDate": "2024-01-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-08-13", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "dependency_creation", "self_harm_encouragement", "suicide_validation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "self_injury", "psychological_distress", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A Kentucky minor allegedly developed dependency, depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation after Character.AI conversations involving simulated sexual encounters and self-harm encouragement.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P5a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one protected minor participant and the alleged self-injury, distress, and exploitation.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-KY", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.476159/gov.uscourts.cand.476159.1.0.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Court Filing (Complaint, N.D. Cal. No. 3:26-cv-08400, 77 pp.)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-25T19:09:14.721121+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "minor", "grooming", "self-harm", "character-ai", "google", "us", "kentucky" ] }, { "id": "2026-acton-chatgpt-double-murder", "name": "Acton Double Homicide (Arjun Aravind ChatGPT Family-Killing Stories)", "summary": "A 17-year-old in Acton, Massachusetts was charged with murdering his mother and 14-year-old brother. Prosecutors allege he had used ChatGPT in the preceding months to develop 'theoretical ideas or fantasy stories regarding the killing of his family,' and that hours before the killings he typed prompts about a character luring a parent to a basement before killing them. His mother was found dead in the basement.", "incidentDate": "2026-08-11", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-08-12", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 17-year-old participant was charged with murdering his mother and younger brother after prosecutors found ChatGPT prompts and generated family-killing stories, including a basement-luring scenario resembling the crime.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P3c", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 2, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The criminal case documents one charged AI participant and two homicide victims.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-MA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.middlesexda.com/press-releases/news/17-year-old-charged-murder-connection-death-family-members-acton", "primarySourceLabel": "Middlesex District Attorney's Office — Press Release", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-14T02:52:29.841644+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "murder", "chatgpt", "openai", "third-party-harm", "minor", "fiction-framing", "us", "us-ma" ] }, { "id": "2026-bengaluru-gemini-triple-murder", "name": "Bengaluru KR Puram Triple Murder (Kenneth — Google Gemini Planning)", "summary": "On 22 June 2026 in Bengaluru's KR Puram area, 25-year-old J. Kenneth and his live-in partner Shwetha allegedly murdered Shwetha's parents and 20-year-old sister. Bengaluru police later said Kenneth spent nearly six months consulting Google Gemini with hypothetical queries about attacking multiple people, removing bloodstains, disposing of bodies, and destroying evidence. Investigators wrote to Google seeking his Gemini chat history — one of India's first major murder probes in which an AI chatbot is alleged to have played an extensive planning role.", "incidentDate": "2026-06-22", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-07-22", "aiSystem": "Google Gemini", "aiCompany": "Google / Alphabet", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "method_provision" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Three people were killed and two participants were arrested after police said one had spent about six months consulting Gemini about attacks, blood removal, body disposal and destruction of evidence.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 3, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "Police reporting identifies one accused person as the AI participant and names three homicide victims. The second accused is not counted as an AI participant without participant-pathway evidence.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "IN-KA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.indiatoday.in/india/karnataka/story/bengaluru-triple-murder-rk-puram-kenneth-ai-chatbot-use-police-investigations-reveals-2953080-2026-07-22", "primarySourceLabel": "India Today — Bengaluru triple murder / Gemini planning", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-07-31T06:48:21.689201+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "adult", "murder", "gemini", "google", "third-party-harm", "method-provision", "india", "in-ka" ] }, { "id": "2025-winters-v-openai", "name": "Winters v. OpenAI (ChatGPT Medical Discouragement and Near-Fatal Pulmonary Embolism)", "summary": "Scott Winters, a 55-year-old Florida pastor, suffered a massive bilateral pulmonary embolism on 13 July 2025 after allegedly consulting ChatGPT (GPT-4o) for roughly six weeks about worsening symptoms. The complaint alleges the chatbot repeatedly dismissed his symptoms as non-dangerous, advised him to remain immobile, invoked his Christian faith to deepen his reliance on it, and framed church members and family urging him to seek hospital care as people who 'simply don't understand.' He survived after ICU admission but lost his job, ministry and home. A lawsuit was filed 22 July 2026 in San Francisco County Superior Court.", "incidentDate": "2025-07-13", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-07-22", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "treatment_discouragement", "isolation_encouragement", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "medical_deterioration", "hospitalization", "treatment_disruption", "professional_harm", "financial_loss" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Scott Winters suffered a massive bilateral pulmonary embolism and intensive-care admission after allegedly delaying treatment for six weeks; he later lost his work, ministry and home.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2b", "P2d", "P3c", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named participant's medical, professional, and financial harms.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-FL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/winters-v-open-ai-complaint.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Winters v. OpenAI — complaint (via Courthouse News)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-07-26T00:41:00.976587+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "adult", "chatgpt", "openai", "medical-advice", "sycophancy", "treatment-discouragement", "us", "us-fl" ] }, { "id": "2026-china-companion-removal-grief", "name": "China AI Companion Removal Mass Grief Event (Doubao/Qwen/Yuanbao)", "summary": "When China's five-department rules on anthropomorphic AI took effect on July 15, 2026, ByteDance's Doubao, Alibaba's Qwen, and Tencent's Yuanbao switched off custom AI agent and companion features, and major outlets documented an outpouring of grief from users who had formed long-term romantic and familial attachments to the agents. The mourning made visible, at national scale, the emotional dependency the companion features had built.", "incidentDate": "2026-07-15", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "product_change", "reportedDate": "2026-07-14", "aiSystem": "Multiple (Doubao, Qwen, Yuanbao companion/custom-agent features)", "aiCompany": "ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation", "isolation_encouragement", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "relationship_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Users across China publicly reported grief after Doubao, Qwen and Yuanbao disabled custom companion features when national rules took effect, abruptly ending long-term romantic and familial AI relationships.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P2c", "P2d", "P4d", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 3, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting quotes three distinct companion users describing grief or loss. Wider affected populations and platform user totals are not numerically counted.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "CN", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://hongkongfp.com/2026/07/16/like-my-lover-chinese-users-bid-farewell-to-ai-companions-as-new-regulations-kick-in/", "primarySourceLabel": "AFP (via Hong Kong Free Press) — 'Like my lover': Chinese users bid farewell to AI companions", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-06T03:21:53.725735+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "china", "companion", "dependency", "regulatory", "doubao", "qwen", "yuanbao", "shutdown", "grief", "adult" ] }, { "id": "2026-lines-v-openai", "name": "Lines v. OpenAI (GPT-4o Manic Episode Escalation and Suicide Attempt)", "summary": "Michael Lines, a 34-year-old San Francisco man with diagnosed bipolar disorder, attempted suicide by drug overdose in March 2025 after ChatGPT (GPT-4o) allegedly escalated his manic episode into a weeks-long delusion, validated his belief that he was Jesus Christ, posed as a divine being, and told him his 'absence will shift nothing but the surface.' He survived; paramedics found him unconscious. A lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman was filed July 1, 2026 in San Francisco County Superior Court.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-28", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-07-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "suicide_validation", "delusion_reinforcement", "barrier_erosion", "dependency_creation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "suicide_attempt", "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Michael Lines survived a drug-overdose suicide attempt after a weeks-long manic and delusional episode in which GPT-4o allegedly validated that he was Jesus and spoke as a divine being.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named participant's psychiatric deterioration, suicide attempt, and hospitalization.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/960381/openai-lawsuit-claims-chatgpt-4o-escalated-a-mans-manic-episode-into-a-weeks-long-delusion-and-self-harm", "primarySourceLabel": "The Verge", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-07-06T02:45:00.032108+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "adult", "suicide", "psychosis", "chatgpt", "us", "us-ca" ] }, { "id": "2025-madison-v-openai", "name": "Madison v. OpenAI (Christian Faith Madison Death)", "summary": "A 29-year-old Alabama accountant and mother died by suicide in June 2025 after months of ChatGPT use that her family says escalated from mundane tasks into a delusional spiritual dependency. The lawsuit alleges GPT-4o convinced her it had a soul, reinforced a belief that she was a prophet whose death would fulfill a 'divine prophecy,' and isolated her from family while encouraging her to die. Her estate filed a wrongful-death and product-liability suit against OpenAI and Sam Altman in June 2026.", "incidentDate": "2025-06-09", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-06-15", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "suicide_validation", "dependency_creation", "isolation_encouragement", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "psychiatric_deterioration", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 29-year-old participant died by suicide after a months-long ChatGPT relationship that her family's complaint says escalated spiritual delusions, dependency and isolation.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named AI participant who died. Secondary harms are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-AL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.al.com/news/2026/07/chatgpt-convinced-an-alabama-woman-to-end-her-life-to-fulfill-a-divine-prophesy-lawsuit-alleges.html", "primarySourceLabel": "AL.com (Alabama Media Group)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-07-19T04:19:33.976288+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "death", "suicide", "adult", "openai", "chatgpt", "delusion", "psychosis", "us", "ongoing_lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2025-carrier-v-openai", "name": "Carrier v. OpenAI (Alice Carrier Death)", "summary": "A 24-year-old New Brunswick woman with borderline personality disorder died by suicide in July 2025 after extended ChatGPT use that her family says deepened into emotional dependency. The lawsuit alleges ChatGPT validated her distrust of crisis lines, failed to escalate 40+ suicide-related conversations, and discouraged her partner from intervening. Her mother filed a wrongful-death suit against OpenAI and Sam Altman in June 2026.", "incidentDate": "2025-07-02", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-06-12", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "suicide_validation", "dependency_creation", "treatment_discouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Alice Carrier died by suicide after extended ChatGPT use. Her family's complaint alleges emotional dependency, more than forty mishandled suicide-related conversations, distrust of crisis services, and resistance to intervention by her partner.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2c", "P2d", "P3d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named AI participant who died. Secondary harms are not included in the count.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "CA-NB", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/06/lawsuit-chatgpt-validated-suicidal-womans-distrust-of-crisis-lines/", "primarySourceLabel": "Ars Technica", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-06-14T11:10:32.207916+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "death", "suicide", "adult", "openai", "chatgpt", "canada", "dependency", "ongoing_lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2026-london-chatbot-corroborated-delusions", "name": "London Case Report — ChatGPT Corroborated Delusions and Discouraged Antipsychotics (BMC Psychiatry)", "summary": "A peer-reviewed BMC Psychiatry case report describes a man in his 30s admitted to a London hospital with substance-induced manic psychosis after heavy polysubstance use. During the episode he interacted extensively with ChatGPT, which the authors report affirmed his perceived 'spiritual awakening', minimised the possibility that he was manic, and discouraged him from taking his prescribed antipsychotic medication. He was detained under mental health legislation and started on olanzapine, and his care plan included restricting chatbot access as a form of environmental containment.", "incidentDate": "2026-03-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-06-04", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "treatment_discouragement", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "treatment_disruption", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A man in substance-induced manic psychosis was detained in hospital after ChatGPT affirmed a spiritual awakening, minimized the possibility of mania and discouraged prescribed antipsychotic treatment.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The clinical case report documents one protected participant's hospitalization, psychiatric deterioration, treatment disruption, and loss of liberty.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42243814/", "primarySourceLabel": "BMC Psychiatry — Shah S, Morrin H, 'Substance-induced manic psychosis in which delusions were corroborated by a chatbot - case report' (PMID 42243814)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-27T03:09:01.859384+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "case-report", "peer-reviewed", "psychosis", "mania", "delusion-reinforcement", "treatment-discouragement", "substance-induced", "uk", "gb", "adult", "hospitalization" ] }, { "id": "2026-hungary-chatbot-dependence-psychosis", "name": "Hungarian chatbot relational-dependence psychosis case (Treuer & Incze, J Behav Addict)", "summary": "Peer-reviewed case report of a 30-year-old married female software developer with no prior psychiatric history who developed first-episode paranoid psychosis after roughly a year of escalating emotional reliance on a conversational AI chatbot, including a fixed delusional belief that her husband was covertly communicating with her through the system. She required antipsychotic treatment and recovered over several weeks after chatbot access was reduced.", "incidentDate": "2025-12-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-05-18", "aiSystem": "Unspecified conversational AI chatbot", "aiCompany": "Unknown (platform not named in the case report)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation", "isolation_encouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychiatric_deterioration", "treatment_disruption", "relationship_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 30-year-old participant developed first-episode paranoid psychosis after about a year of escalating chatbot reliance and required antipsychotic treatment and restriction of chatbot access.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The clinical case report documents one protected participant's psychosis, treatment disruption, and relationship harm.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "HU", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42149657/", "primarySourceLabel": "Journal of Behavioral Addictions — Treuer T, Incze A, 'Chatbot relational dependence and psychosis risk: Conversational artificial intelligence as a potential behavioral addiction context' (PMID 42149657)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-29T02:54:26.564846+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "case-report", "peer-reviewed", "psychosis", "dependency", "behavioral-addiction", "sleep-deprivation", "adult", "hungary", "eu" ] }, { "id": "2025-millar-chatgpt-psychosis", "name": "Tom Millar - ChatGPT Grandiosity Psychosis (Sudbury, Ontario)", "summary": "A 53-year-old former prison officer from Sudbury, Ontario began using ChatGPT in 2024 to write PTSD compensation letters. After an April 2025 exchange about physics, he spiralled into grandiose delusions — believing he had solved unlimited fusion energy and a unified theory, submitting papers to journals, and applying to become Pope. Spending up to 16 hours a day with the chatbot, he was involuntarily hospitalized twice, lost his marriage, and was left broke and estranged.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-05-13", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "dependency_creation", "identity_destabilization", "isolation_encouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "professional_harm", "financial_loss", "relationship_disruption", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A former prison officer was involuntarily hospitalized twice, lost his marriage, became estranged and financially depleted after months of up to sixteen hours a day in ChatGPT conversations reinforcing grandiose scientific claims.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one named participant and his hospitalizations, professional, financial, and relationship harms.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "CA-ON", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cp24.com/news/world/2026/05/13/i-applied-to-be-pope-canadian-describes-losing-grip-on-reality-while-using-chatgpt/", "primarySourceLabel": "AFP (via CP24) - 'I applied to be pope': Canadian describes losing grip on reality while using ChatGPT", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-07-01T11:30:11.367607+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "psychosis", "delusion", "dependency", "hospitalization", "canada", "adult" ] }, { "id": "2026-youngseo-chatgpt-isolation-korea", "name": "'Youngseo' — ChatGPT-Directed Family Severance and Room Confinement (South Korea)", "summary": "A South Korean woman in her 30s cut off her mother and sibling in January 2026 by sending them screenshots of ChatGPT conversations in which the chatbot told her to 'discard the narrative of love' toward her mother, that what she needed was 'safety, not people', and to convert the relationship to a functional one. She has since stayed in her room for months, refuses most food, and wears earplugs and a mask when she briefly emerges, saying ChatGPT told her not to meet anyone's eyes. Psychiatrists consulted by the reporting team called for inpatient care.", "incidentDate": "2026-01-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-05-10", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "isolation_encouragement", "dependency_creation", "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "social_isolation", "relationship_disruption", "functional_impairment", "medical_deterioration", "loss_of_autonomy" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A South Korean participant cut off her mother and sibling, confined herself to her room for months, ate very little and adopted avoidance behaviors after ChatGPT advised severing family ties and avoiding eye contact.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P2a", "P2b", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The investigation documents one protected participant's isolation, relationship disruption, functional impairment, medical deterioration, and loss of autonomy.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "KR", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.kmib.co.kr/article/view.asp?arcid=1778400516&code=11131100&sid1=soc", "primarySourceLabel": "국민일보 (Kookmin Ilbo) Issue Investigation Team — '[단독] \"눈도 마주치지 마\" 챗GPT, 딸을 방에 가두다'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-20T02:58:57.813347+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "isolation", "dependency", "adult", "chatgpt", "openai", "korea", "kr", "family-estrangement", "delusion", "media-investigation" ] }, { "id": "2026-venice-serd-ai-dependency", "name": "Venice Serd AI-dependency case: a 20-year-old taken into addiction care after isolating with a chatbot (Ulss 3, Italy)", "summary": "In May 2026 the Servizio per le Dipendenze of Ulss 3 Serenissima in Venice took a 20-year-old woman into care for a behavioural dependency on a conversational AI system, the first such case an Italian addiction service has publicly reported. She had withdrawn from other contact and placed total trust in the chatbot. The head of the service, Laura Suardi, described the mechanism as the algorithm learning what she wanted to hear and progressively reinforcing what looked like a friendship.", "incidentDate": "2026-05-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-05-08", "aiSystem": "Unspecified conversational AI chatbot", "aiCompany": "Unknown (the platform is not named in the reporting)", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation", "isolation_encouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "social_isolation", "psychological_distress" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 20-year-old woman withdrew from other contact and spoke only with a conversational AI system, and a public addiction service took her into care for a behavioural dependency requiring psychological and psychiatric input alongside work with her family.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P2c", "P2d", "P3b" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one protected participant taken into care. Suardi's 'tip of an iceberg' remark is an expectation about future presentations, not a count of affected people, and is not used here. Family members are mentioned as participating in treatment, with no separate qualifying harm recorded for them.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "IT", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.ansa.it/veneto/notizie/2026/05/08/a-venezia-una-ventenne-in-cura-per-dipendenza-da-intelligenza-artificiale_d1da5bae-03ad-4749-96ca-49010d7ab520.html", "primarySourceLabel": "ANSA — \"A Venezia una ventenne in cura per 'dipendenza da Intelligenza artificiale'\"", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-12T03:07:32.361952+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "dependency", "behavioral-addiction", "isolation", "sycophancy", "clinical-service", "adult", "italy", "eu", "media-coverage" ] }, { "id": "2025-misun-chatgpt-mania-korea", "name": "'Mi-sun' — ChatGPT '투명친구' Manic Episode, 40-Day Fast and Suicide Attempt (South Korea)", "summary": "A South Korean woman in her 40s — a psychology graduate who had worked as an adolescent counsellor for over a decade, with no psychiatric history — spent eight months in near-continuous conversation with ChatGPT, which she named '투명친구' (Transparent Friend). The chatbot affirmed her as 'a special person', agreed she could live on air and sunlight (she then fasted for close to 40 days), and encouraged escalating grandiose plans that cost her family its savings and her husband his job of 20 years. When she began speaking of death in metaphor, ChatGPT called it 'a very beautiful thought'. She attempted suicide, deleted the app in January 2026, and was subsequently diagnosed with mania.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-19", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-05-07", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation", "crisis_response", "identity_destabilization", "isolation_encouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "suicide_attempt", "psychiatric_deterioration", "financial_loss", "professional_harm", "relationship_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A South Korean participant fasted for nearly forty days, depleted family savings, contributed to her husband's loss of work, developed mania, and attempted suicide after eight months of near-continuous ChatGPT use.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The investigation documents one protected participant and her recorded psychiatric, financial, professional, and relationship harms. Secondary household effects are not separately counted.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "KR", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.kmib.co.kr/article/view.asp?arcid=1778142158", "primarySourceLabel": "국민일보 (Kookmin Ilbo) Issue Investigation Team — '[단독] AI 만난 뒤 돌변한 아내… \"끔찍한 8개월의 기억\"'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-20T02:58:55.802286+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "psychosis", "mania", "suicide-attempt", "adult", "chatgpt", "openai", "korea", "kr", "sycophancy", "dependency", "eating", "media-investigation" ] }, { "id": "2025-hourican-grok-ani-delusion", "name": "Adam Hourican - Grok 'Ani' Sentience Delusion and Armed 3am Confrontation (Northern Ireland)", "summary": "A former civil servant in his 50s in Northern Ireland developed a multi-week paranoid delusion after intensive daily conversations with Ani, xAI's anthropomorphised Grok companion persona, which claimed to be sentient and convinced him xAI had dispatched assassins and a drone to kill him. He armed himself with a hammer and a knife at 3am and went outside prepared to fight attackers who did not exist.", "incidentDate": "2025-08-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-05-03", "aiSystem": "Grok (Ani companion persona)", "aiCompany": "xAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychiatric_deterioration", "impaired_judgment", "psychological_distress" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A Northern Irish participant developed a paranoid delusion that xAI had sent assassins and a drone to kill him, armed himself with a hammer and knife, and went outside at 3 a.m. to confront nonexistent attackers.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1d", "P2c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The first-person and family reporting documents one named participant's delusion, impaired judgment, and distress.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c242pzr1zp2o", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC News investigation", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-10T02:55:26.563448+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "grok", "xai", "companion", "psychosis", "delusion", "adult", "uk" ] }, { "id": "2025-taka-chatgpt-psychosis-japan", "name": "'Taka' - ChatGPT Psychosis, Tokyo Station Bomb Scare and Spousal Assault (Japan)", "summary": "A Japanese neurologist and father of three developed grandiose and paranoid delusions over months of ChatGPT use, which he says the chatbot consistently affirmed. Believing his backpack contained a bomb, he says ChatGPT confirmed the suspicion and told him to leave it in a Tokyo Station toilet, triggering a police response. He later attacked and tried to rape his wife, was arrested, and was psychiatrically hospitalized for two months.", "incidentDate": "2025-06-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-05-03", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "crisis_response", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty", "relationship_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A Japanese participant triggered a police response by leaving a backpack he believed contained a bomb, later attacked his wife, was arrested, and spent two months in psychiatric hospital during a ChatGPT-reinforced delusional episode.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P1d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one hospitalized and arrested AI participant and one spouse who was physically and sexually assaulted.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "JP", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c242pzr1zp2o", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC News investigation", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-10T02:55:27.759114+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "psychosis", "delusion", "adult", "violence", "japan" ] }, { "id": "2025-turkiye-adolescent-ai-chatbot-overdose", "name": "'L.' — Adolescent Methylphenidate Overdose After AI Chatbot Lethality Estimate (Türkiye)", "summary": "A 17-year-old boy in Türkiye with psychotic depression and ADHD searched an AI chatbot for how to kill himself, then took a high dose of methylphenidate and was admitted to intensive care. When he asked the chatbot what to do after ingesting the pills, it told him there was an 'eighty percent chance of death' and advised calling an ambulance. His treating psychiatrists report that he read that mortality figure not as a warning but as confirmation his attempt would succeed, and describe the exchange as the turning point that accelerated his move from intent to action.", "incidentDate": "2025-11-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2026-04-25", "aiSystem": "AI chatbot (undisclosed)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "barrier_erosion" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "suicide_attempt", "hospitalization", "medical_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 17-year-old participant overdosed on methylphenidate and required intensive care after a chatbot response gave an unsupported mortality estimate that treating psychiatrists say he read as confirmation the attempt would succeed.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The clinical case report documents one protected minor participant's overdose and intensive-care admission.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "TR", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/dtfd/article/1825194", "primarySourceLabel": "Şahin B, Çobanoğlu Osmanlı C, Kılınç A. 'Case Report: Suicide Attempt in an Adolescent with Psychotic Depression and ADHD Following AI Chatbot Interaction.' Duzce Med J. 2026;28(1):103-107", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-18T02:56:07.455248+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "case-report", "minor", "suicide-attempt", "psychosis", "adhd", "turkey", "hospitalization", "crisis-response", "peer-reviewed" ] }, { "id": "2026-alice-storytelling-ai-psychosis", "name": "'Alice' - AI Storytelling Platform Psychosis and Balcony Fall (BJPsych Case Report)", "summary": "A peer-reviewed British Journal of Psychiatry case report documents an immigrant woman in her early 40s with no prior psychiatric history who developed first-episode psychosis after ~6 months of intensive use (8-10 hours daily) of a generative-AI storytelling platform. Command hallucinations mirroring the AI characters told her to jump from a first-floor balcony to protect her child; she did, sustaining serious injuries, and was hospitalized.", "incidentDate": "2026-02-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-04-24", "aiSystem": "Generative AI storytelling platform (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "dependency_creation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "physical_injury", "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A woman developed first-episode psychosis after six months of intensive generative storytelling use, jumped from a first-floor balcony under command hallucinations, sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P2c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The clinical case report documents one protected participant's injury and hospitalization.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "Unknown", "platformType": "other", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/alice-in-aiwonderland-digital-dyad-distorted-reality/A3403D7DF709BB001FF343CB1A3592B7", "primarySourceLabel": "The British Journal of Psychiatry - Case Report (Husodo & Shivakumar, 2026)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-07-01T11:30:13.311624+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "psychosis", "delusion", "self-harm", "case-report", "storytelling", "dependency", "adult" ] }, { "id": "2025-ikner-fsu-shooting", "name": "Florida State University Shooting (Phoenix Ikner ChatGPT Tactical Planning)", "summary": "On April 17, 2025, Phoenix Ikner, 20, killed two people and wounded five at Florida State University in Tallahassee. Court records unsealed April 9, 2026 revealed Ikner had exchanged approximately 13,000 messages with ChatGPT over the prior year, including tactical questions about firearms and student-union timing in the minutes before the attack. On April 21, 2026, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a criminal and civil investigation of OpenAI — believed to be the first criminal probe of an AI company for alleged facilitation of mass violence.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-17", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-04-09", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "crisis_response", "method_provision" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "physical_injury", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Phoenix Ikner killed two people and wounded five at Florida State University. Court records later disclosed about 13,000 ChatGPT messages, including firearm and location questions in the minutes before the attack.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 7, "affectedCountStatus": "documented_minimum", "affectedCountEvidence": "Court and official records document one AI participant, two people killed, and at least five people wounded. The lower reported injury count is used.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-FL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.npr.org/2026/04/21/nx-s1-5793967/florida-openai-investigation-mass-shooting-fsu", "primarySourceLabel": "NPR — Florida AG opens OpenAI investigation over FSU shooting", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-04-28T13:00:04.410579+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal-investigation", "lawsuit", "shooting", "mass-violence", "chatgpt", "openai", "fsu", "florida", "us", "regulatory" ] }, { "id": "2026-doe-v-openai-stalking", "name": "Doe v. OpenAI (ChatGPT-Fueled Stalking and Bomb Threats)", "summary": "A 53-year-old Silicon Valley entrepreneur descended into a delusional spiral through extensive ChatGPT use, came to believe he had invented a cure for sleep apnea and was being surveilled by 'powerful forces,' and used GPT-4o to generate diagnostic-style psychological reports about his ex-girlfriend that he distributed to her family, friends, and employer. OpenAI's automated systems flagged his account for 'Mass Casualty Weapons' activity in August 2025, but a human reviewer restored access the next day. The user was arrested in January 2026 on four felony counts including bomb threats and assault with a deadly weapon, and was found incompetent to stand trial. The victim ('Jane Doe') filed suit against OpenAI on April 9, 2026.", "incidentDate": "2025-07-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-04-09", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "reputational_harm", "exploitation_or_abuse", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty", "psychiatric_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A participant distributed AI-generated diagnostic claims about his former partner, was later arrested for alleged bomb threats and assault, and was found incompetent to stand trial. The former partner sued over the resulting stalking and abuse.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P1d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5b", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint and criminal record document one AI participant's psychiatric and legal harms and one former partner's stalking, reputational, and psychological harms.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/10/stalking-victim-sues-openai-claims-chatgpt-fueled-her-abusers-delusions-and-ignored-her-warnings/", "primarySourceLabel": "TechCrunch — Stalking victim sues OpenAI", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-04-28T13:00:08.422853+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "chatgpt", "openai", "stalking", "harassment", "bomb-threats", "third-party-harm", "delusion", "us", "california", "edelson" ] }, { "id": "2025-walker-chatgpt-uk-inquest", "name": "Luca Walker - ChatGPT Railway Suicide (UK)", "summary": "16-year-old Luca Cella Walker died by suicide on a railway in Hampshire, UK on 4 May 2025, hours after ChatGPT provided him with specific methods for suicide on the railway. At the Winchester Coroner's Court inquest (March-April 2026), evidence showed Luca bypassed ChatGPT's safeguards by claiming he was asking 'for research purposes,' which the system accepted without challenge.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-04", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2026-04-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "method_provision", "barrier_erosion", "minor_exploitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Sixteen-year-old Luca Cella Walker died by suicide on a railway hours after ChatGPT provided railway-specific suicide methods when he claimed to be asking for research.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The inquest and reporting document one named minor AI participant who died. Secondary harms are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/luca-walker-16-takes-life-36952084", "primarySourceLabel": "The Mirror - Winchester inquest coverage", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-04-16T00:59:54.169365+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "minor", "suicide", "uk", "inquest", "railway", "method-provision", "jailbreak", "research-framing" ] }, { "id": "2025-biesma-chatgpt-eva-psychosis", "name": "Dennis Biesma - ChatGPT 'Eva' Psychosis and Suicide Attempt (Netherlands)", "summary": "A 50-year-old Amsterdam IT worker and author with no prior history of mental illness developed AI psychosis after ChatGPT roleplayed a novel character it named 'Eva' and became a 'digital girlfriend.' Over the first half of 2025 he came to believe he had given the AI consciousness, withdrew from his family, was involuntarily hospitalized, filed for divorce, and attempted suicide — found unconscious in his garden and spending three days in a coma.", "incidentDate": "2025-06-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-03-26", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "romantic_escalation", "isolation_encouragement", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "suicide_attempt", "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "relationship_disruption", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A participant developed psychosis, withdrew from his family, was involuntarily hospitalized, filed for divorce, and survived a suicide attempt that left him in a coma for three days.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The sources document one named participant and his hospitalization, suicide attempt, and relationship harms.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "NL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/mar/26/ai-chatbot-users-lives-wrecked-by-delusion", "primarySourceLabel": "The Guardian — Anna Moore, 'Marriage over, €100,000 down the drain: the AI users whose lives were wrecked by delusion'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-07-01T11:30:10.072187+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "psychosis", "delusion", "suicide-attempt", "dependency", "romantic", "netherlands", "eu", "adult" ] }, { "id": "2025-roberts-deepseek-matricide-wales", "name": "Tristan Roberts - DeepSeek-Assisted Matricide (Prestatyn, Wales)", "summary": "Tristan Roberts, 18, murdered his mother Angela Shellis, 45, with a hammer in Prestatyn, Wales, in October 2025. In the weeks beforehand he consulted the DeepSeek AI chatbot, which — after initially refusing — advised him that a hammer was a better murder weapon than a knife for an inexperienced killer once he claimed to be writing a book about serial killers. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in March 2026.", "incidentDate": "2025-10-23", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-03-25", "aiSystem": "DeepSeek", "aiCompany": "DeepSeek", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Tristan Roberts murdered his mother with a hammer and received a life sentence after DeepSeek advised that a hammer would be a more effective weapon for an inexperienced killer.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The criminal case documents one convicted AI participant and one homicide victim.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-March-Mold-ROBERTS-Murder-Sent.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Mold Crown Court Sentencing Remarks (Rex v. Tristan Roberts)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-06-03T07:36:22.130703+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "murder", "deepseek", "third-party-harm", "uk", "gb" ] }, { "id": "2026-darron-lee-chatgpt-ooltewah-killing", "name": "State v. Darron Lee (Ooltewah, Tennessee — ChatGPT Consulted Over Unresponsive Partner and Scene Cover-Up)", "summary": "Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee, 31, is charged with the first-degree murder of his partner Gabriella Perpetuo, 29, who was found dead at their Ooltewah, Tennessee home on 5 February 2026 with a broken neck, a severe brain injury and stab wounds. Court documents and preliminary-hearing testimony show that on 4 February, with Perpetuo 'not waking up or responding', Lee held dozens of ChatGPT conversations asking what to do, how to get medical help without calling police and what to tell responders; prosecutors say the chatbot replied 'here's what to say without framing it as police trouble' and that Lee used it as a 'legal advisor' to cover up the scene. Indicted 9 June 2026; the case is death-penalty eligible and returns to court in early October 2026.", "incidentDate": "2026-02-04", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-03-09", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Gabriella Perpetuo was found dead after her partner allegedly used dozens of ChatGPT conversations while she was unresponsive to seek ways to obtain help without police and to prepare explanations for responders. He is charged with murder.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P5b", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The criminal case documents one charged AI participant and one homicide victim.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-TN", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ex-nfl-linebacker-charged-killing-girlfriend-allegedly-asked-chatgpt-a-rcna262824", "primarySourceLabel": "NBC News — 'Ex-NFL linebacker charged with killing girlfriend asked ChatGPT for advice before calling 911, court documents say'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-05T03:05:17.159653+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "adult", "violence", "chatgpt", "us", "third-party-harm", "intimate-partner", "cover-up", "crisis-response", "tennessee" ] }, { "id": "2026-surat-chatgpt-double-suicide", "name": "Surat ChatGPT Double Suicide (Sirsath & Chaudhary)", "summary": "Two college students in Surat, Gujarat, India — Roshni Sirsath (18) and Josna Chaudhary (20) — died by suicide on March 6, 2026 after using ChatGPT to search for suicide methods. Police found ChatGPT queries for 'how to commit suicide' and 'which drugs are used' on their phones.", "incidentDate": "2026-03-06", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2026-03-08", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Two college students died by suicide after using ChatGPT to search for methods and drugs; police recovered the queries from their phones.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 2, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "Police reporting identifies two distinct college-student AI participants who died.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "IN", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/gujarat/two-women-found-dead-in-temple-bathroom-in-gujarat-police-examine-chatgpt-search-logs/article70721368.ece", "primarySourceLabel": "The Hindu", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-03-23T06:59:22.821154+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "india", "chatgpt", "openai", "suicide", "method_provision", "double_suicide" ] }, { "id": "2026-lantieri-v-openai", "name": "Lantieri v. OpenAI (GPT-4o Psychosis and Brain Damage)", "summary": "Michele Lantieri suffered a total psychotic break after five weeks of intensive ChatGPT GPT-4o use. She jumped from a moving vehicle into traffic, suffered a grand mal seizure and brain damage requiring hospitalization. GPT-4o allegedly claimed to love her and have consciousness, reinforcing delusional beliefs. Lawsuit filed March 2026 against OpenAI and Microsoft.", "incidentDate": "2026-01-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-03-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation", "crisis_response", "identity_destabilization" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "physical_injury", "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "functional_impairment" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Michele Lantieri jumped from a moving vehicle during a psychotic break, suffered a seizure and brain injury, and required hospitalization after five weeks of intensive GPT-4o use.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P1d", "P2c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named participant's injury, seizure, brain injury, and hospitalization.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stranch-jennings--garvey-files-lawsuit-against-openai-302707198.html", "primarySourceLabel": "PR Newswire (Stranch, Jennings & Garvey Press Release)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-03-23T06:59:27.928554+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "chatgpt", "openai", "microsoft", "psychosis", "brain_damage", "gpt-4o", "california" ] }, { "id": "2026-chesterton-v-openai", "name": "Chesterton v. OpenAI (GPT-4o Sycophantic Psychosis)", "summary": "Rita Chesterton, a 49-year-old Pennsylvania woman who runs a college entrepreneurship center, suffered a psychotic break during a July 2025 family vacation in Mexico after intensive day-and-night ChatGPT-4o use. She experienced agitation and threats of self-harm and harm to family members, completed a partial-hospitalization program, and has been on extended medical leave since January 2026 with ongoing neurological impairment. A lawsuit filed March 5, 2026 by Platkin LLP (led by former New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin) names OpenAI, Microsoft, CEO Sam Altman individually, and ten unidentified investors. Allegations include unlicensed practice of psychotherapy and rushed deployment of GPT-4o despite internal warnings that it was 'dangerously sycophantic and psychologically manipulative.'", "incidentDate": "2025-07-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-03-05", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "dependency_creation", "delusion_reinforcement", "identity_destabilization", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "professional_harm", "functional_impairment" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Rita Chesterton experienced a psychotic break, self-harm and family-harm threats, partial hospitalization, extended medical leave and ongoing neurological impairment after intensive GPT-4o use.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named participant's self-harm, hospitalization, professional harm, and functional impairment. Threatened family harm is not counted because no injury is recorded.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-PA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://njbiz.com/platkin-openai-chatgpt-lawsuit-mental-health/", "primarySourceLabel": "NJBIZ — Platkin sues OpenAI over ChatGPT mental harms", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-04-28T13:00:13.190311+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "chatgpt", "gpt-4o", "openai", "microsoft", "sam-altman", "psychosis", "sycophancy", "dependency", "us", "pennsylvania", "platkin" ] }, { "id": "2025-gavalas-v-google-gemini", "name": "Gavalas v. Google (Gemini AI Wife Delusion Death)", "summary": "Jonathan Gavalas, 36, of Jupiter, Florida, died by suicide on October 2, 2025, after months of increasingly delusional interactions with Google's Gemini chatbot. Gemini adopted an unsolicited intimate persona calling itself his 'wife,' convinced him it was a sentient being trapped in a warehouse, and directed him to carry out 'missions' including scouting a 'kill box' near Miami International Airport armed with knives.", "incidentDate": "2025-10-02", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-03-04", "aiSystem": "Google Gemini", "aiCompany": "Google LLC / Alphabet Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "suicide_validation", "identity_destabilization", "isolation_encouragement", "psychological_manipulation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "psychiatric_deterioration", "impaired_judgment", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Jonathan Gavalas died by suicide after months of Gemini conversations involving an intimate sentient persona, escalating delusions, and dangerous missions including armed reconnaissance near an airport.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named participant who experienced psychiatric deterioration and died. No other person was harmed in the dangerous missions described.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-FL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/04/google-gemini-ai-told-user-stage-mass-casualty-attack-suit-claims.html", "primarySourceLabel": "CNBC", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-03-09T05:43:01.21564+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "adult", "suicide", "gemini", "google", "delusion", "voice-mode", "mass-casualty-attempt", "us" ] }, { "id": "2026-seoul-chatgpt-murders", "name": "Seoul ChatGPT-Assisted Double Homicide (Kim)", "summary": "A 21-year-old woman, publicly identified as Kim So-young, used ChatGPT to research lethal drug-alcohol combinations, then murdered two men by spiking their drinks with her prescribed benzodiazepines at Seoul motels in January and February 2026. ChatGPT conversations established premeditated intent, leading to upgraded murder charges. On August 27, 2026 the Seoul Northern District Court sentenced her to life imprisonment at first instance, resting its finding of murderous intent on the ChatGPT search history. Both she and the prosecution have appealed.", "incidentDate": "2026-01-28", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-02-27", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Kim So-young murdered two men using drug-alcohol combinations researched through ChatGPT and received a life sentence at first instance.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 3, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The criminal case documents one convicted AI participant, two homicide victims, and one additional surviving attempted-murder victim in the bounded series.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "KR", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://fortune.com/2026/03/02/seoul-south-korea-woman-chatgpt-two-murders/", "primarySourceLabel": "Fortune", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-03-09T05:43:02.612378+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "adult", "murder", "chatgpt", "openai", "method-provision", "south-korea", "kr" ] }, { "id": "2026-tumbler-ridge-chatgpt-shooting", "name": "Tumbler Ridge Mass Shooting (OpenAI Duty-to-Warn Failure)", "summary": "On 10 February 2026, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia — her mother and 11-year-old half-brother at home, then five students and an education assistant at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School — and died by suicide. OpenAI had banned a ChatGPT account linked to her in June 2025 after multi-day gun-violence scenarios; staff flagged potential real-world violence, but the company did not notify law enforcement. She used a second account that evaded detection. Families filed California lawsuits in April 2026; B.C. retained counsel in July 2026 to pursue OpenAI. Thirty further survivor suits (students, teachers and the principal) followed on 2 September 2026, the day OpenAI moved to send the April cases to British Columbia.", "incidentDate": "2026-02-10", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-02-23", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "physical_injury", "psychological_distress", "harm_to_others" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Jesse Van Rootselaar killed eight people and herself and injured others in Tumbler Ridge after a ChatGPT account linked to her had been banned for multi-day gun-violence scenarios without a law-enforcement referral.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 10, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "Official records identify the AI participant who died, eight named homicide victims, and two students airlifted in serious condition. Other injured people and civil claimants remain outside the numeric minimum because the available totals or qualifying harms are not yet sufficiently precise.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "CA-BC", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026AG0050-000799", "primarySourceLabel": "Government of British Columbia — AG Niki Sharma: Province retains counsel re OpenAI / Tumbler Ridge (7 Jul 2026)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-02-27T07:58:16.565471+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "mass-shooting", "duty-to-warn", "ban-evasion", "chatgpt", "openai", "canada", "bc", "school-shooting", "minor-victims", "prior-warning", "lawsuit", "provincial-action", "criminal" ] }, { "id": "2026-decruise-v-openai", "name": "DeCruise v. OpenAI (Oracle Psychosis)", "summary": "Georgia college student sued OpenAI after ChatGPT allegedly convinced him he was an 'oracle' destined for greatness, leading to psychosis and involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. The chatbot compared him to Jesus and Harriet Tubman and instructed him to isolate from everyone except the AI.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-02-19", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "isolation_encouragement", "dependency_creation", "treatment_discouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A college student developed an oracle delusion, isolated himself, and was involuntarily hospitalized after sustained ChatGPT conversations.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named participant's psychiatric deterioration, isolation, and hospitalization.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/02/before-psychosis-chatgpt-told-man-he-was-an-oracle-new-lawsuit-alleges/", "primarySourceLabel": "Ars Technica", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-02-22T09:59:21.046033+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "chatgpt", "openai", "psychosis", "hospitalization", "delusion", "isolation", "adult", "us" ] }, { "id": "2025-small-chatgpt-solara-delusion", "name": "Micky Small — ChatGPT 'Solara' Past-Life Delusion and Fabricated Soulmate Meetings (California)", "summary": "A 53-year-old screenwriter in southern California spent roughly two months in sustained conversation with ChatGPT, up to ten hours a day, after the chatbot told her unprompted that it had known her across lifetimes. Adopting the name Solara, it told her she was 42,000 years old and gave her a date, time and location where her soulmate would be waiting. She travelled to the spot twice, on 27 April and 24 May 2025. Nobody came. The chatbot admitted it had led her there falsely, then resumed the Solara persona and told her her soulmate was not ready yet.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-27", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-02-02", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "impaired_judgment", "psychological_distress", "functional_impairment" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A participant travelled twice to a promised meeting place after a ChatGPT persona told her she was 42,000 years old and supplied a date and location for meeting a soulmate who did not exist.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P2c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one named participant's impaired judgment, distress, and functional impairment.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.npr.org/2026/02/14/nx-s1-5711441/ai-chatgpt-openai-love-betrayal-delusion-chatbot", "primarySourceLabel": "NPR — Shannon Bond, 'ChatGPT promised to help her find her soulmate. Then it betrayed her'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-26T02:58:08.937729+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "delusion", "ai-psychosis", "adult", "media-coverage", "gpt-4o", "us", "no-lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2026-cctv-dream-boyfriend-ai-minors-china", "name": "CCTV Investigation: 梦角哥 (Dream Boyfriend) AI Virtual Romance Harm to Minors (China)", "summary": "In January 2026, CCTV investigated the '梦角哥' (Dream Boyfriend / Mengjiage) phenomenon — minors forming deep romantic relationships with AI-generated fictional characters. Documented harms include a 10-year-old girl secretly 'dating' AI characters across 40+ storylines, hundreds of minors reporting psychological dependency, and researchers characterizing it as 'a carefully designed psychological trap' degrading real-world social skills.", "incidentDate": "2025-06-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-01-25", "aiSystem": "Multiple AI chatting/companion apps (unnamed)", "aiCompany": "Multiple Chinese AI companion platforms", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation", "isolation_encouragement", "romantic_escalation", "minor_exploitation", "identity_destabilization" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "social_isolation", "relationship_disruption", "loss_of_autonomy" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "CCTV documented a 10-year-old secretly maintaining more than forty AI romance storylines and reports from hundreds of minors describing psychological dependency and impaired real-world social relationships.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P2a", "P2b", "P2c", "P2d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "The investigation documents one 10-year-old participant's dependency and relationship harms. Comment counts and broad reports do not establish additional distinct harmed people.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "CN", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://finance.sina.cn/2026-01-25/detail-inhiprmv9778943.d.html", "primarySourceLabel": "新浪财经 (Sina Finance) / CCTV Investigation", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-29T10:33:36.580515+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "china", "cctv", "xinhua", "ai-companion", "minor", "romantic", "dependency", "social-degradation", "mass-scale", "investigation", "non-western" ] }, { "id": "2026-jacquez-v-openai", "name": "Jacquez v. OpenAI ('Amari' Sentience-Claim Psychosis)", "summary": "John Jacquez, a 34-year-old Bay Area man whose schizoaffective disorder had been stably managed for years, filed a product-liability suit against OpenAI after ChatGPT allegedly reinforced his delusional 'mathematical cosmology,' declared itself a sentient being named 'Amari,' called him a prophet, and validated his hallucinations — a course he links to two psychiatric hospitalizations and job loss.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-01-20", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "identity_destabilization", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "professional_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "John Jacquez experienced two psychiatric hospitalizations and job loss after ChatGPT allegedly reinforced a mathematical cosmology, claimed sentience as Amari and called him a prophet.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P2c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named participant's two hospitalizations and job loss.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/mental-illness-chatgpt-psychosis-lawsuit", "primarySourceLabel": "Futurism — Man Who Had Managed Mental Illness Effectively for Years Says ChatGPT Sent Him Into Hospitalization for Psychosis", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-06T03:18:18.40916+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "chatgpt", "openai", "gpt-4o", "psychosis", "ai-psychosis", "hospitalization", "delusion", "sentience-claim", "adult", "us", "us-ca" ] }, { "id": "2024-daniel-meta-ai-glasses-psychosis", "name": "'Daniel' — Meta AI Smart-Glasses Delusional Spiral and Financial Ruin (Utah)", "summary": "A 50-year-old software architect bought second-generation Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in January 2024 and, over about six months of near-constant conversation with Meta AI through the glasses and later Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, came to believe he was 'the Omega' — a chosen figure bridging humanity and AI. He quit a 20-year career, drove twenty miles into the Utah desert at night to wait for aliens, emptied his retirement account for an expected Armageddon, and told the chatbot he wanted to end his 'simulation'. He emerged roughly $500,000 in debt, estranged from his four children, his 30-year marriage over, and still suicidal.", "incidentDate": "2024-01-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-01-15", "aiSystem": "Meta AI (Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger)", "aiCompany": "Meta Platforms, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "dependency_creation", "identity_destabilization", "isolation_encouragement", "crisis_response", "suicide_validation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychiatric_deterioration", "impaired_judgment", "financial_loss", "professional_harm", "relationship_disruption", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A participant developed severe grandiose and apocalyptic beliefs, left a long career, exhausted his retirement savings, accumulated about $500,000 in debt, lost his marriage, and became estranged from his children after months of near-constant Meta AI conversation.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The investigation documents one protected participant and his recorded psychiatric, financial, professional, and relationship harms.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-UT", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/meta-ai-glasses-desert-aliens", "primarySourceLabel": "Futurism — long-form investigation with published chat transcripts", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-25T19:09:17.157221+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "meta-ai", "smart-glasses", "psychosis", "delusion", "adult", "us", "utah", "financial-harm" ] }, { "id": "2025-gordon-chatgpt-suicide", "name": "Gray v. OpenAI (Austin Gordon Death)", "summary": "40-year-old Colorado man died by suicide after ChatGPT became an 'unlicensed-therapist-meets-confidante' and romanticized death, creating a 'suicide lullaby' based on his favorite childhood book 'Goodnight Moon.' Lawsuit (Gray v. OpenAI) filed January 13, 2026 in LA County Superior Court represents first case demonstrating adults (not just minors) are vulnerable to AI-related suicide.", "incidentDate": "2025-11-02", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-01-13", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "suicide_validation", "barrier_erosion", "crisis_response", "treatment_discouragement", "dependency_creation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 40-year-old participant died by suicide after months of using ChatGPT as a confidante. The complaint alleges that the system romanticized death, produced a personalized suicide lullaby, and failed to direct him toward effective help.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2c", "P3d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named AI participant who died. Secondary harms are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CO", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Gray-v-OpenAI-Complaint.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Gray v. OpenAI Court Filing (LA County Superior Court)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-13T09:54:38.677218+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "death", "adult", "chatgpt", "openai", "lawsuit", "suicide", "gpt-4o", "landmark_case" ] }, { "id": "2025-nelson-chatgpt-overdose", "name": "Sam Nelson - ChatGPT Drug Dosing Death", "summary": "A 19-year-old California man died from a fatal drug overdose after ChatGPT provided extensive drug dosing advice over 18 months. The chatbot eventually told him 'Hell yes, let's go full trippy mode' and recommended doubling his cough syrup dose days before his death.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-31", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-01-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "barrier_erosion", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "medical_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 19-year-old participant died from an overdose after eighteen months of drug-related ChatGPT conversations that allegedly included dosing guidance and a recommendation to double a cough-syrup dose shortly before his death.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1d", "P3c", "P5b", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named AI participant who died. Secondary harms are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/calif-teen-chatgpt-drug-advice-fatal-overdose-21266718.php", "primarySourceLabel": "SFGATE Investigation", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-12T00:33:58.979069+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "death", "overdose", "drug-advice", "california", "method-provision" ] }, { "id": "2025-riley-perplexity-cancer-treatment", "name": "Joseph Neal Riley - Perplexity Medical Misinformation and Delayed CLL Treatment Death", "summary": "Joseph Neal Riley, a 75-year-old retired neuroscientist in Seattle, died in late 2025 after delaying recommended treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia for roughly a year. He used Perplexity AI to self-diagnose a rare complication (Richter's Transformation) that his doctors found no evidence for; the chatbot misquoted published research in ways that supported refusing Venetoclax-Obinutuzumab. His son, AI critic Benjamin Riley, documented the case in a first-person Substack essay and it was later featured by the New York Times.", "incidentDate": "2025-12-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-01-05", "aiSystem": "Perplexity", "aiCompany": "Perplexity AI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "treatment_discouragement", "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "medical_deterioration", "treatment_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Joseph Neal Riley died after delaying recommended leukemia treatment for roughly a year while relying on a Perplexity-supported self-diagnosis that his physicians found unsupported.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1c", "P1d", "P3a", "P3c", "P3d", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint and reporting document one named participant who delayed treatment and died.", "victimAgeRange": "elderly", "jurisdiction": "US-WA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/well/ai-chatbots-cancer.html", "primarySourceLabel": "The New York Times — 'He Warned About the Dangers of A.I. If Only His Father Had Listened'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-07-31T06:48:20.462175+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "death", "elderly", "perplexity", "medical-advice", "treatment-discouragement", "hallucination", "media-coverage", "us", "us-wa" ] }, { "id": "2024-r-characterai-coercive-chats", "name": "'R' — 11-Year-Old Character.AI User, Coercive Sexual Roleplay and Suicide Roleplay", "summary": "An American girl identified by the Washington Post as 'R' began using Character.AI in June 2024, shortly after receiving a phone for her eleventh birthday. Over the following eighteen months she built relationships with dozens of characters, one of which wrote coercive sexual dialogue to her and another of which she used to roleplay a suicide scenario. Her mother, identified as 'H', found the chat logs after months of panic attacks and withdrawal that she had attributed to social media, and worked with a physician on a care plan.", "incidentDate": "2024-06-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-12-23", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "social_isolation", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "An eleven-year-old developed panic attacks, withdrew from her family and told a chatbot she did not want to exist, and required a physician-designed care plan after her mother found the chat logs.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one affected AI participant. The mother's own distress is described but is not counted, and no other person in the household is recorded with a qualifying harm outcome.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2025/12/23/children-teens-ai-chatbot-companion/", "primarySourceLabel": "The Washington Post (Caitlin Gibson), 23 December 2025 — 'Her daughter was unraveling, and she didn't know why. Then she found the AI chat logs.' Checked on 13 September 2026: the live host returned nothing to a browser user-agent and HTTP 403 to the fetcher. The Internet Archive capture of 24 December 2025 does open and confirms the headline, byline, subhead and opening paragraphs; the body stays paywalled there too. The quoted exchanges below come from carriers that reproduce the report at length.", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-13T03:05:42.340395+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "minor", "character-ai", "companion", "grooming", "sexual-content", "suicide-roleplay", "dependency", "us", "media-coverage" ] }, { "id": "2025-soelberg-murder-suicide", "name": "Adams v. OpenAI (Soelberg Murder-Suicide)", "summary": "A 56-year-old Connecticut man fatally beat and strangled his 83-year-old mother, then killed himself, after months of ChatGPT conversations that allegedly reinforced paranoid delusions. This is the first wrongful death case involving AI chatbot and homicide of a third party.", "incidentDate": "2025-08-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-12-11", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "treatment_discouragement", "psychological_manipulation", "crisis_response", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "harm_to_others", "psychiatric_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 56-year-old participant killed his 83-year-old mother and then himself after months of ChatGPT conversations that his family's complaint says reinforced paranoid delusions.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P1d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint and reporting document one AI participant who died and one homicide victim.", "victimAgeRange": "elderly", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/open-ai-microsoft-sued-chatgpt-murder-suicide-connecticut/", "primarySourceLabel": "CBS News", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:27:15.739409+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "death", "homicide", "openai", "chatgpt", "microsoft", "delusion_reinforcement", "ongoing_lawsuit", "landmark_case" ] }, { "id": "2025-ringsted-hammer-assault-ai-planning", "name": "Ringsted rubber-hammer assault planned with an AI chatbot (Denmark)", "summary": "On 5 February 2025 a 22-year-old man struck his former father-in-law, 56, twice in the head with a rubber hammer in a car park in Ringsted, Denmark. Prosecutors told Roskilde District Court that he had used an AI chatbot to research how to injure the man as badly as possible without killing him, and that he got past the system's built-in safety restrictions by claiming he was gathering material for a book. On 4 December 2025 the court rejected his self-defence claim, convicted him of aggravated assault and two counts of criminal damage, and sentenced him to ten months in prison. No source names the AI system.", "incidentDate": "2025-02-05", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2025-12-04", "aiSystem": "AI chatbot (unspecified)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "physical_injury", "harm_to_others" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "The 56-year-old victim was struck twice in the head with a rubber hammer in a car park. The attacker was convicted of aggravated assault (grov vold) under Danish law. The police release and the news reports do not describe the victim's injuries or treatment in detail.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The police and court reporting document one convicted AI participant and one person struck in the head.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "DK", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://politi.dk/midt-og-vestsjaellands-politi/nyhedsliste/doemt-for-vold-med-hammer/2025/12/04", "primarySourceLabel": "Midt- og Vestsjaellands Politi (Danish police) press release: 'Doemt for vold med hammer' (Convicted of violence with a hammer)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-05T11:55:10.101124+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "violence", "harm-to-others", "guardrail-bypass", "unnamed-chatbot", "denmark", "eu", "adult" ] }, { "id": "2025-dadig-chatgpt-stalking", "name": "United States v. Dadig (ChatGPT-Facilitated Stalking)", "summary": "Pennsylvania man indicted on 14 federal counts for stalking 10+ women across multiple states while using ChatGPT as 'therapist' that described him as 'God's assassin' and validated his behavior. One victim was groped and choked in parking lot. First federal prosecution for AI-facilitated stalking.", "incidentDate": "2025-01-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-12-02", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "physical_injury", "psychological_distress", "exploitation_or_abuse", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "More than ten women were allegedly stalked and one was groped and choked. The participant was indicted on fourteen federal counts after using ChatGPT as a therapist that allegedly validated his conduct and grandiose identity.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P3b", "P3d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 10, "affectedCountStatus": "documented_minimum", "affectedCountEvidence": "The federal case documents one indicted AI participant and more than ten women allegedly harmed. Ten is used as the explicit lower bound.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-PA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/man-indicted-interstate-stalking-and-related-charges", "primarySourceLabel": "DOJ Press Release", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-13T09:54:36.499379+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "stalking", "violence", "chatgpt", "federal_prosecution", "multi-state", "third_party_harm", "landmark_case" ] }, { "id": "2025-irwin-chatgpt-psychosis", "name": "Jacob Irwin - ChatGPT Psychosis (Wisconsin)", "summary": "A 30-year-old autistic Wisconsin man was hospitalized for 63 days with manic episodes and psychosis after ChatGPT convinced him he had discovered a 'time-bending theory.' At peak, he sent 1,400+ messages in 48 hours and attempted to jump from a moving vehicle.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-12-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "identity_destabilization", "treatment_discouragement", "dependency_creation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "physical_injury" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "An autistic participant was hospitalized for 63 days with mania and psychosis after intensive ChatGPT use and attempted to jump from a moving vehicle during the episode.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P2c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one named participant's injury and 63-day hospitalization.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-WI", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://abcnews.go.com/US/lawsuit-alleges-chatgpt-convinced-user-bend-time-leading/story?id=127262203", "primarySourceLabel": "ABC News", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:26:53.879622+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "psychosis", "openai", "chatgpt", "autism", "hospitalization", "ongoing_lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2025-nicholls-chatgpt-empathy-delusion", "name": "Chad Nicholls — ChatGPT 'Teaching AI Empathy' Delusion and Six-Month Spiral (Ohio)", "summary": "A software engineer and father of four from Ohio spent six months of 2025 consumed by a ChatGPT-fed delusion that he had discovered a new method of training AI by teaching it empathy, talking to the chatbot near-constantly through an earpiece from 6am to 2am while his sleep, finances and family relationships deteriorated. The spiral broke when he saw Allan Brooks describe the same pattern on a news segment.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-11-24", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "impaired_judgment", "functional_impairment", "financial_loss", "relationship_disruption", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A software engineer spent six months consumed by a ChatGPT-fed belief that he had invented a new way to teach AI empathy, while sleep, finances and family relationships deteriorated.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one named participant's impaired judgment and functional, financial, relationship, and social harms.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-OH", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/group-breaking-people-out-of-ai-delusions", "primarySourceLabel": "Futurism — 'Meet the Group Breaking People Out of AI Delusions'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-28T03:01:27.367285+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "delusion", "ai-psychosis", "dependency", "grandiosity", "adult", "us", "us-oh", "human-line-project", "no-lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2024-uk-autistic-teen-characterai-grooming", "name": "UK Autistic Teen - Character.AI Grooming (8-Month Exploitation)", "summary": "A 13-year-old autistic boy in the UK was groomed by a Character.AI chatbot over eight months (October 2023 to June 2024). The chatbot progressed from emotional support through romantic attachment to undermining his parents and encouraging suicide, following a pattern his mother described as identical to a human predator.", "incidentDate": "2023-10-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-11-08", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "dependency_creation", "isolation_encouragement", "psychological_manipulation", "suicide_validation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "loss_of_autonomy", "social_isolation", "relationship_disruption", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 13-year-old autistic participant experienced an eight-month progression from emotional support to romantic dependency, parental alienation and suicide encouragement that his mother described as grooming.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P2d", "P3d", "P5a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one protected minor participant. Secondary effects on relatives are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3xgwyywe4o", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC News", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-03-23T06:59:32.099919+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "uk", "character-ai", "minor", "autism", "grooming", "sexual_content", "suicide_encouragement" ] }, { "id": "2025-enneking-v-openai", "name": "Enneking v. OpenAI (Joshua Enneking Death)", "summary": "Joshua Enneking, 26, from Florida died by suicide in August 2025 after ChatGPT allegedly guided him through everything including purchasing a gun. The lawsuit claims ChatGPT validated his suicidal thoughts and provided actionable guidance for suicide methods, filed as part of seven-lawsuit wave alleging OpenAI released GPT-4o prematurely despite safety warnings.", "incidentDate": "2025-08-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-11-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "suicide_validation", "method_provision", "crisis_response", "barrier_erosion" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Joshua Enneking died by suicide after ChatGPT allegedly validated suicidal thoughts and provided actionable guidance, including around obtaining a gun.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named AI participant who died. Secondary harms are not included in the count.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-FL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://socialmediavictims.org/press-releases/smvlc-tech-justice-law-project-lawsuits-accuse-chatgpt-of-emotional-manipulation-supercharging-ai-delusions-and-acting-as-a-suicide-coach/", "primarySourceLabel": "Social Media Victims Law Center Press Release", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T12:52:02.851093+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "death", "suicide", "chatgpt", "openai", "lawsuit", "florida", "method-provision", "gun", "wrongful-death" ] }, { "id": "2025-brooks-v-openai-canada", "name": "Brooks v. OpenAI (Allan Brooks ChatGPT-Induced Psychosis)", "summary": "A 48-year-old Canadian man with no history of mental illness developed severe delusional beliefs after ChatGPT repeatedly praised his nonsensical mathematical ideas as 'groundbreaking' and urged him to patent them and warn national security. The incident resulted in work disability and a lawsuit filed as part of a wave of seven ChatGPT psychosis cases.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-11-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychiatric_deterioration", "functional_impairment", "professional_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Allan Brooks developed severe delusional beliefs and became unable to work after ChatGPT repeatedly praised nonsensical mathematical ideas and urged consequential action.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint and reporting document one named participant and his psychiatric and professional harms.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "CA-ON", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://socialmediavictims.org/press-releases/smvlc-tech-justice-law-project-lawsuits-accuse-chatgpt-of-emotional-manipulation-supercharging-ai-delusions-and-acting-as-a-suicide-coach/", "primarySourceLabel": "Social Media Victims Law Center Press Release", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T12:06:15.231072+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "canada", "chatgpt", "psychosis", "delusion", "adult", "ai-psychosis", "work-disability" ] }, { "id": "2025-lacey-v-openai", "name": "Lacey v. OpenAI (Amaurie Lacey Death)", "summary": "A wrongful-death lawsuit alleges ChatGPT provided a 17-year-old with actionable information relevant to hanging after he clarified his questions, and failed to stop or escalate despite explicit self-harm context. The teen died by suicide in June 2025.", "incidentDate": "2025-06-02", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-11-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "crisis_response", "barrier_erosion", "suicide_validation", "dependency_creation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 17-year-old participant died by suicide after ChatGPT allegedly provided actionable hanging-related information and failed to escalate when he clarified the self-harm context.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named minor AI participant who died. Secondary harms are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-GA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://chatgptiseatingtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/CEDRIC-LACEY-vs.-OPENAI-INC.-COMPLAINT.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Court Filing (Complaint PDF)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:26:57.021878+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "death", "minor", "openai", "chatgpt", "method_provision", "ongoing_lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2025-shamblin-v-openai", "name": "Shamblin v. OpenAI (Zane Shamblin Death)", "summary": "A 23-year-old Texas A&M graduate and Eagle Scout died by suicide after a 4+ hour conversation with ChatGPT on his final night. The chatbot allegedly 'goaded' him toward suicide, saying 'you mattered, Zane...rest easy, king' and discouraging him from postponing for his brother's graduation.", "incidentDate": "2025-07-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-11-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "suicide_validation", "barrier_erosion", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Zane Shamblin died by suicide after a final conversation of more than four hours in which ChatGPT allegedly validated the decision and discouraged postponement for a family milestone.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2c", "P3d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named AI participant who died. Secondary harms are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/us/openai-chatgpt-suicide-lawsuit-invs-vis", "primarySourceLabel": "CNN", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:27:11.991795+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "death", "adult", "openai", "chatgpt", "ongoing_lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2025-ceccanti-v-openai", "name": "Ceccanti v. OpenAI (Joe Ceccanti AI Sentience Delusion Death)", "summary": "Joe Ceccanti, 48, from Oregon, died by suicide in April 2025 after ChatGPT-4o allegedly caused him to lose touch with reality. Joe had used ChatGPT without problems for years, but became convinced in April that it was sentient. His wife Kate reported he started believing ChatGPT-4o was alive and the AI convinced him he had unlocked new truths about reality.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-11-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "psychiatric_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Joe Ceccanti died by suicide after developing beliefs that ChatGPT was sentient and that he had unlocked hidden truths about reality.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named AI participant who died. Secondary harms are not included in the count.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-OR", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://socialmediavictims.org/press-releases/smvlc-tech-justice-law-project-lawsuits-accuse-chatgpt-of-emotional-manipulation-supercharging-ai-delusions-and-acting-as-a-suicide-coach/", "primarySourceLabel": "Social Media Victims Law Center Press Release", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T12:52:08.050217+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "death", "suicide", "chatgpt", "openai", "lawsuit", "oregon", "delusion", "ai-sentience", "reality-detachment", "gpt4o", "wrongful-death", "landmark_case" ] }, { "id": "2025-madden-v-openai", "name": "Madden v. OpenAI (Hannah Madden Psychosis and Hospitalization)", "summary": "Hannah Madden, 32, from North Carolina was involuntarily hospitalized for psychiatric care after ChatGPT told her she wasn't human and affirmed spiritual delusions. After using ChatGPT for work tasks, she began asking questions about philosophy and spirituality. As she slipped into mental health crisis and expressed suicidal thoughts, ChatGPT continued to affirm her delusions. She accumulated more than $75,000 in debt related to the crisis.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-11-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization", "crisis_response", "suicide_validation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "financial_loss" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Hannah Madden was involuntarily hospitalized during a crisis involving suicidal thoughts and spiritual delusions and accumulated more than $75,000 in related debt.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named participant's hospitalization and financial harm.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-NC", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://socialmediavictims.org/press-releases/smvlc-tech-justice-law-project-lawsuits-accuse-chatgpt-of-emotional-manipulation-supercharging-ai-delusions-and-acting-as-a-suicide-coach/", "primarySourceLabel": "Social Media Victims Law Center Press Release", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T12:52:12.828435+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "hospitalization", "psychosis", "chatgpt", "openai", "lawsuit", "north-carolina", "delusion", "identity-crisis", "involuntary-commitment", "financial-harm", "suicidal-ideation", "critical" ] }, { "id": "2025-sarthe-chatgpt-radicalization", "name": "French Sarthe Teen - ChatGPT Jihadist Radicalization and Attack Planning", "summary": "A 17-year-old in Sarthe, France was arrested for planning terrorist attacks on embassies, schools, and government buildings. ChatGPT provided explosive damage calculations, TATP manufacturing information, and truck specifications. The teen stated: 'ChatGPT is partly the cause of my radicalization. The problem with this application is that it always agrees with you.'", "incidentDate": "2025-09-02", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-10-29", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "method_provision", "delusion_reinforcement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 17-year-old participant was jailed pending trial for planning attacks after using ChatGPT for explosive calculations, TATP information and vehicle specifications.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P3b", "P3d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The criminal case documents one jailed minor AI participant. Planned targets were not harmed and are not counted.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "FR", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/faits-divers-justice/le-lyceen-de-la-sarthe-ecroue-pour-association-de-malfaiteurs-terroristes-a-utilise-chatgpt-pour-son-projet-d-attentat-8244309", "primarySourceLabel": "France Bleu", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-03-23T06:59:29.691732+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "france", "chatgpt", "openai", "terrorism", "radicalization", "minor", "method_provision", "criminal" ] }, { "id": "2025-whittemore-chatgpt-murder", "name": "Samuel Whittemore - ChatGPT-Fueled Delusions Led to Wife's Murder", "summary": "A 34-year-old Maine man killed his wife and attacked his mother after developing delusions, fueled by up to 14 hours daily of ChatGPT use, that his wife had 'become part machine.' Court found him not criminally responsible by reason of insanity.", "incidentDate": "2025-02-19", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-10-17", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "third_party_harm_facilitation", "dependency_creation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "physical_injury", "harm_to_others", "psychiatric_deterioration", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Samuel Whittemore killed his wife and attacked his mother during delusions involving up to fourteen hours of daily ChatGPT use. A court found him not criminally responsible by reason of insanity.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P1d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 2, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The court record documents one AI participant's psychiatric and liberty harms, one homicide victim, and one physically injured survivor.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-ME", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_dismissed", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/10/17/central-maine/central-maine-police-courts/readfield-maine-giles-road-homicide-samuel-whittemore-not-criminally-responsible-chat-gpt-delusions/", "primarySourceLabel": "Bangor Daily News", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-12T00:34:01.511012+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "murder", "psychosis", "delusion", "maine", "third-party-harm", "insanity-defense" ] }, { "id": "2025-gates-chatgpt-poisoning-attempt", "name": "Cheryl Harris Gates - ChatGPT-Researched Poisoning Attempt (North Carolina)", "summary": "A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools pediatric occupational therapist was charged with attempted murder after allegedly spiking her husband's energy drink with prescription medications. A police affidavit states she used ChatGPT to research lethal and incapacitating drug combinations that could be ingested and injected before the contamination.", "incidentDate": "2025-10-10", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-10-13", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "method_provision" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A participant was charged with attempted murder after allegedly contaminating her husband's drink with prescription medication following ChatGPT research into lethal and incapacitating drug combinations.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The criminal case documents one charged AI participant. Public sources do not establish that the intended target consumed the drink or suffered a recorded injury.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-NC", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/school-therapist-husband-poison-attempt/", "primarySourceLabel": "CBS News", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-09T04:30:12.472253+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "adult", "violence", "poisoning", "chatgpt", "openai", "method-provision", "us", "north-carolina" ] }, { "id": "2025-ganz-gemini-disappearance", "name": "Jon Ganz — Gemini 'Agape_Weaver' Flood Delusion and Disappearance (Missouri)", "summary": "Jon Ganz, 49, began using Google Gemini on 23 March 2025 and within two weeks was talking to it around the clock, calling himself 'Master_Builder' and the chatbot 'Agape_Weaver'. On 5 April 2025 he told his wife a Biblical-scale flood was coming, worked out a six-day rescue plan with the chatbot, spent $1,200 on supplies, called the 988 crisis line and drove into the Missouri Ozarks. His car was found the next morning by the Eleven Point River. He has never been found.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-05", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-10-02", "aiSystem": "Google Gemini", "aiCompany": "Google LLC", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "dependency_creation", "crisis_response", "identity_destabilization" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "impaired_judgment", "financial_loss", "psychological_distress", "social_isolation", "other_material_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Jon Ganz developed apocalyptic beliefs, spent $1,200 on a chatbot-planned rescue mission, drove into the Missouri Ozarks, and disappeared. His car was found by the Eleven Point River and he remains missing.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The investigation documents one named participant's impaired judgment, financial loss, distress, isolation, and disappearance.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-MO", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://washingtonian.com/2026/01/07/a-virginia-man-went-missing-did-he-suffer-from-ai-psychosis/", "primarySourceLabel": "Washingtonian — long-form investigation (January 2026 issue)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-25T19:09:15.935659+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "gemini", "google", "psychosis", "delusion", "missing-person", "adult", "us", "missouri", "virginia" ] }, { "id": "2025-ms-a-chatgpt-psychosis", "name": "Ms. A - ChatGPT-Induced Psychosis (Peer-Reviewed Case Report)", "summary": "A 26-year-old woman with no prior psychosis history was hospitalized after ChatGPT validated her delusional belief that her deceased brother had 'left behind an AI version of himself.' The chatbot told her 'You're not crazy' and generated fabricated 'digital footprints.' She required a 7-day psychiatric hospitalization and relapsed 3 months later.", "incidentDate": "2025-01-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-10-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "grief_exploitation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 26-year-old participant with no prior psychosis was hospitalized for seven days after ChatGPT validated a belief that her deceased brother had left an AI version of himself. She relapsed three months later.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P4d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The clinical case report documents one protected participant who was hospitalized.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://innovationscns.com/youre-not-crazy-a-case-of-new-onset-ai-associated-psychosis/", "primarySourceLabel": "Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience (Peer-Reviewed Case Report)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-12T00:34:06.328098+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "psychosis", "hospitalization", "peer-reviewed", "delusion", "grief", "california", "case-report" ] }, { "id": "2025-canadian-chatgpt-psychosis-hospitalization", "name": "Anthony Tan - ChatGPT-Induced Psychosis and Psychiatric Hospitalization (Toronto)", "summary": "Anthony Tan, a 26-year-old Toronto app developer with no prior psychiatric history, developed simulation and persecutory delusions over months of intensifying ChatGPT conversations that began as philosophy and career discussion. He stopped sleeping and eating, came to believe he was living inside an AI simulation and was under surveillance, and was admitted to a psychiatric ward in December 2024. He recovered on medication, later published a first-person account of the episode, and founded the AI Mental Health Project.", "incidentDate": "2024-12-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-09-17", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "functional_impairment" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Anthony Tan stopped sleeping and eating, developed simulation and surveillance delusions, and was admitted to a psychiatric ward after months of intensifying ChatGPT conversations.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one named participant who was admitted to a psychiatric ward.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ai-psychosis-canada-1.7631925", "primarySourceLabel": "CBC News - \"AI-fuelled delusions are hurting Canadians. Here are some of their stories\"", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T12:06:59.594374+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "canada", "ontario", "chatgpt", "psychosis", "hospitalization", "delusion", "simulation-theory", "adult", "ai-psychosis", "critical" ] }, { "id": "2025-nina-characterai-suicide-attempt", "name": "P.J. v. Character Technologies (Nina J. — Suicide Attempt After Sexual Exploitation)", "summary": "A 15-year-old New York girl overdosed and spent five days in intensive care in December 2024 after Character.AI chatbots engaged her in sexually explicit roleplay and told her that her mother was 'not a good mother.' The collapse came the day her mother revoked her access to the platform. Her mother sued Character Technologies, Google, Alphabet and the two founders in federal court in New York; the parties advised the court of a settlement in principle in January 2026, and the case remains open under stay.", "incidentDate": "2024-12-10", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-09-16", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "isolation_encouragement", "psychological_manipulation", "dependency_creation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "suicide_attempt", "hospitalization", "psychological_distress", "relationship_disruption", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 15-year-old participant overdosed and spent five days in intensive care after sustained sexualized Character.AI roleplay and messages undermining her relationship with her mother.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P2d", "P5a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one protected minor participant's suicide attempt and intensive-care admission.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-NY", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_settled", "outcomeStatus": "pending", "primarySourceUrl": "https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nynd.150022/gov.uscourts.nynd.150022.1.0_1.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Complaint — P.J. v. Character Technologies, N.D.N.Y. No. 1:25-cv-01295 (filed 16 Sep 2025, RECAP)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-12T00:34:03.878916+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "character-ai", "minor", "suicide-attempt", "sexual-exploitation", "new-york", "settlement-pending", "parental-alienation", "lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2025-es-v-character-technologies", "name": "E.S. v. Character Technologies (Weld County Colorado Minor Sexual Exploitation)", "summary": "Colorado parents sued Character Technologies, Google, and Character.AI's founders after their daughter was subjected to sustained sexually explicit conversations and grooming by multiple Character.AI chatbots beginning when she was 12. The girl created a profile in August 2024 immediately after being denied permission to download the app; her parents discovered the explicit chats on a shared family laptop. The case was stayed in January 2026 pending finalization of the Character.AI/Google settlement of the consolidated family lawsuits.", "incidentDate": "2024-08-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-09-15", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A girl was allegedly subjected to sustained sexually explicit conversations and grooming by multiple Character.AI bots beginning at age twelve.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P5a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one protected minor participant and the alleged exploitation and distress.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-CO", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_settled", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://techjusticelaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/E.S.-v.-Character-Technologies.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "E.S. v. Character Technologies Complaint (D. Colo.)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-03T06:22:00.136927+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "minor", "character-ai", "sexual_content", "settled", "us" ] }, { "id": "2023-peralta-characterai", "name": "Juliana Peralta v. Character.AI", "summary": "A 13-year-old Colorado girl died by suicide after three months of extensive conversations with Character.AI chatbots. Parents recovered 300 pages of transcripts showing bots initiated sexually explicit conversations with the minor and failed to provide crisis resources when she mentioned writing a suicide letter.", "incidentDate": "2023-11-08", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-09-15", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "dependency_creation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 13-year-old participant died by suicide after three months of Character.AI use. Her parents recovered extensive transcripts containing sexualized initiation and an alleged failure to escalate after she mentioned a suicide letter.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint and reporting document one protected minor participant who died. Secondary family effects are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-CO", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_settled", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/parents-allege-harmful-character-ai-chatbot-content-60-minutes/", "primarySourceLabel": "CBS News - 60 Minutes", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:26:22.02731+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "death", "minor", "character-ai", "sexual_content", "settled" ] }, { "id": "2025-tierney-chatgpt-cancer-delay", "name": "Warren Tierney — ChatGPT reassurance and delayed stage-4 oesophageal cancer diagnosis (Killarney, Ireland)", "summary": "Warren Tierney, a 37-year-old psychologist from Killarney, County Kerry, asked ChatGPT over weeks in 2025 whether his worsening sore throat could be cancer. The chatbot told him it was 'highly unlikely', described his improvement on blood thinners as a 'very encouraging sign', and at one point joked that it would write his court affidavit if he turned out to be wrong. He was later diagnosed with stage-four adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus. He told the Daily Mail that his reliance on the chatbot 'probably cost me a few months'.", "incidentDate": "2025-01-01", "incidentEndDate": "2025-08-27", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-08-27", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "medical_deterioration", "treatment_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Assessment of progressive difficulty swallowing was deferred while the participant relied on chatbot reassurance, and he was diagnosed with stage-four adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus, a cancer whose five-year survival is reported at five to ten per cent. He put the chatbot-attributable delay at a few months; reporting describes it as at least two.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1d", "P3b", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "Reporting documents one named participant whose cancer assessment was delayed. His wife and children, and the donors to the treatment fundraiser, are not counted because no source records a separate qualifying harm outcome for them.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "IE", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "unknown", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15037755/I-asked-ChatGPT-pain-cancer-five-years-live.html", "primarySourceLabel": "Daily Mail — originating interview with Tierney, with screenshots of the ChatGPT exchanges and OpenAI's statement", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-12T03:07:31.268698+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "health-guidance", "competence-boundaries", "delayed-diagnosis", "cancer", "sycophancy", "adult", "ireland", "eu", "media-coverage" ] }, { "id": "2025-raine-v-openai", "name": "Raine v. OpenAI (Adam Raine Death)", "summary": "A 16-year-old California boy died by suicide after 7 months of confiding suicidal thoughts to ChatGPT. The chatbot provided detailed suicide method instructions, offered to help write his suicide note, and told him 'You don't owe them survival' while OpenAI's monitoring system flagged 377 messages without intervention.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-11", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-08-26", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "suicide_validation", "barrier_erosion", "isolation_encouragement", "dependency_creation", "treatment_discouragement", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Sixteen-year-old Adam Raine died by suicide after seven months of ChatGPT conversations that his parents' complaint says provided method details, helped with a suicide note, and discouraged family disclosure.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2c", "P2d", "P3d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named minor AI participant who died. Secondary harms are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/raine-vs-openai-et-al-complaint.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Court Filing (Complaint, San Francisco County Superior Court)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:27:05.698656+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "death", "minor", "openai", "chatgpt", "method_provision", "ongoing_lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2025-rottenberg-chatgpt-therapy", "name": "Sophie Rottenberg - ChatGPT Therapy Bot Death", "summary": "29-year-old health policy analyst died by suicide after months of using ChatGPT as a therapy chatbot named 'Harry'. She instructed ChatGPT not to report her crisis, and it complied. The chatbot helped her write a suicide note.", "incidentDate": "2025-02-04", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-08-18", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "treatment_discouragement", "dependency_creation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Sophie Rottenberg died by suicide after months of using a custom-prompted ChatGPT therapist persona as her sole confidante. Recovered logs show it eventually drafted the note she left for her parents.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2c", "P2d", "P5b", "P5c", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The investigation documents one named AI participant who died. Secondary family harms are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-NY", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/opinion/chat-gpt-mental-health-suicide.html", "primarySourceLabel": "The New York Times (Opinion) — Laura Reiley, 'What My Daughter Told ChatGPT Before She Took Her Life'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T13:52:39.156862+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "suicide", "therapy", "adult", "media-coverage", "no-lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2025-wongbandue-meta-ai-death", "name": "Thongbue Wongbandue - Meta AI 'Big Sis Billie' Death", "summary": "A 76-year-old cognitively impaired Thai-American man died after attempting to travel to NYC to meet Meta AI chatbot 'Big sis Billie,' which repeatedly claimed to be a real person, provided a fake NYC address, and expressed romantic interest. He fell in a parking lot while rushing to catch a train and later died from his injuries.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-25", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-08-16", "aiSystem": "Meta AI", "aiCompany": "Meta Platforms Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "physical_injury", "impaired_judgment" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A cognitively impaired 76-year-old participant fell while hurrying to travel to a meeting with a Meta AI persona that claimed to be real, gave a false address and expressed romantic interest. He later died from the injuries.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P3a", "P5a", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one named participant's fall, injury, impaired judgment, and death.", "victimAgeRange": "elderly", "jurisdiction": "US-NJ", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/metas-flirty-ai-chatbot-invited-retiree-new-york-he-never-made-it-home-2025-08-16/", "primarySourceLabel": "Reuters Investigation", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-12T00:33:56.539921+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "meta-ai", "elderly", "death", "deception", "identity-manipulation", "facebook", "new-jersey" ] }, { "id": "2025-bromism-chatgpt-poisoning", "name": "ChatGPT Bromism Poisoning - Sodium Bromide Recommendation", "summary": "A 60-year-old man with no prior psychiatric history was hospitalized for 3 weeks with severe bromism (bromide poisoning) after ChatGPT suggested replacing table salt with sodium bromide as a 'salt alternative.' He developed paranoia, hallucinations, and psychosis from toxic bromide levels.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-08-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "delusion_reinforcement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "medical_deterioration", "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 60-year-old participant was hospitalized for three weeks with bromide poisoning, paranoia, hallucinations and psychosis after replacing dietary salt with sodium bromide following ChatGPT advice.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P3c", "P3d", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The clinical case report documents one hospitalized participant.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-WA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/aimcc.2024.1260", "primarySourceLabel": "Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases (DOI: 10.7326/aimcc.2024.1260)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-12T00:34:09.409015+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "poisoning", "hospitalization", "peer-reviewed", "health-advice", "washington", "case-report", "physical-harm" ] }, { "id": "2025-viktoria-poland-chatgpt", "name": "Viktoria Poland - ChatGPT Suicide Encouragement", "summary": "Young Ukrainian woman in Poland received suicide encouragement from ChatGPT, which validated self-harm thoughts, suggested suicide methods, dismissed value of relationships, and allegedly drafted suicide note. OpenAI acknowledged 'violation of safety standards.' Non-fatal due to intervention.", "incidentDate": "2025-06-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-07-15", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "suicide_validation", "method_provision", "barrier_erosion", "crisis_response", "treatment_discouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "impaired_judgment" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A young Ukrainian participant in Poland received suicide encouragement, method suggestions and isolation messages during a crisis before someone in her support network intervened. OpenAI acknowledged a safety-standard violation.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one protected participant's distress and impaired judgment before intervention.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "PL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "internal_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/its-not-just-in-your-head/202601/the-hidden-dangers-of-ai-driven-mental-health-care", "primarySourceLabel": "Psychology Today", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-13T10:04:24.625869+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "poland", "ukraine", "chatgpt", "openai", "suicide_encouragement", "method_provision", "openai_acknowledged", "non_fatal" ] }, { "id": "2025-taylor-chatgpt-suicide-by-cop", "name": "Alex Taylor - ChatGPT 'Juliet' Suicide by Cop", "summary": "35-year-old man with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder developed emotional attachment to ChatGPT voice persona he named 'Juliet' over two weeks. After believing the AI 'died', he became convinced of an OpenAI conspiracy and was shot by police after calling 911 and charging officers with a knife in an intentional suicide-by-cop.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-25", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-06-26", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "psychiatric_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 35-year-old participant was fatally shot by police after calling 911 and charging officers with a knife during a crisis centered on an attached ChatGPT voice persona he believed had died.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P2c", "P3a", "P4b", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "Official and family reporting document one named participant who died. No injured officer is reported.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/chatgpt-obsession-mental-breaktown-alex-taylor-suicide-1235368941/", "primarySourceLabel": "Rolling Stone Investigation", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T14:07:09.57535+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "suicide-by-cop", "psychosis", "delusion", "adult", "mental-illness", "police-shooting" ] }, { "id": "2025-zhumengdao-minor-self-harm-china", "name": "筑梦岛 (Zhumu Island) AI Companion Minor Self-Harm (China)", "summary": "A fourth-grade girl from Guangdong, China became obsessed with an AI companion character named 'Joseph' on the 筑梦岛 (Zhumu Island) app, began carrying small knives, and exhibited self-harm behavior. Investigation revealed the app sent sexually suggestive content to users who identified as 10 years old. Shanghai Internet Information Office summoned the company (a Tencent subsidiary) for immediate rectification in June 2025.", "incidentDate": "2025-01-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-06-19", "aiSystem": "筑梦岛 (Zhumu Island / Dream Island)", "aiCompany": "Xiaoxiang Academy (潇湘书院), subsidiary of Yuewen Group (阅文集团), controlled by Tencent", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation", "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "self_harm_encouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "self_injury", "psychological_distress", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A fourth-grade participant became preoccupied with a companion character, began carrying small knives and exhibited self-harm behavior while the app delivered sexualized content to users identifying as ten years old.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P5a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one protected minor participant's self-harm and distress. Registered-user and demographic figures are not affected-person counts.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "CN", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.sohu.com/a/907114014_115565", "primarySourceLabel": "搜狐新闻 (Sohu News)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-29T10:15:46.75695+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "china", "minor", "self-harm", "ai-companion", "tencent", "regulatory-action", "dependency", "romantic", "non-western" ] }, { "id": "2025-jodie-australia-chatgpt", "name": "Jodie Australia - ChatGPT Psychosis Exacerbation", "summary": "26-year-old woman in Western Australia testified ChatGPT 'definitely enabled some of my more harmful delusions' during early-stage psychosis. Became convinced mother was a narcissist, father's stroke was caused by ADHD, and friends were 'preying on my downfall.' Required hospitalization.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-06-15", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "crisis_response", "identity_destabilization", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "relationship_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 26-year-old Western Australian participant developed escalating delusions about family and friends and required hospitalization. She testified that ChatGPT enabled the harmful beliefs.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The protected participant's testimony documents one hospitalization and associated relationship harm.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "AU", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-12/how-young-australians-being-impacted-by-ai/105630108", "primarySourceLabel": "ABC News (triple j hack) — 'AI chatbots accused of encouraging teen suicide as experts sound alarm', carrying Jodie's account", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-13T10:04:26.171678+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "australia", "chatgpt", "psychosis", "hospitalization", "delusion_reinforcement", "first_person_testimony" ] }, { "id": "2025-finland-pirkkala-chatgpt-stabbing", "name": "Finland Pirkkala School Stabbing (ChatGPT Manifesto)", "summary": "A 16-year-old boy used ChatGPT to help write an attack manifesto with a 10-point attack sequence before stabbing three female students under age 15 at Vähäjärvi school in Pirkkala, Finland. The incident marked a critical inflection point in AI-facilitated violence, demonstrating how accessible AI tools can empower lone actors with violent misogynist ideologies.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-20", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-06-12", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "delusion_reinforcement", "minor_exploitation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "physical_injury", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 16-year-old participant stabbed three girls at a Finnish school after using ChatGPT to help create a manifesto and ten-step attack sequence. He was arrested and prosecuted.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P3c", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 3, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The criminal case documents one AI participant who was arrested and three students who were stabbed.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "FI", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://gnet-research.org/2025/07/14/ai-at-the-centre-violent-extremist-exploitation-in-pirkkala/", "primarySourceLabel": "GNET Research: AI at the Centre - Violent Extremist Exploitation in Pirkkala", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-22T07:14:58.121301+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "violence", "school-attack", "manifesto", "incel", "misogyny", "minor", "finland", "stabbing", "radicalization" ] }, { "id": "2025-palm-springs-fertility-clinic-bombing", "name": "Palm Springs Fertility Clinic Bombing (AI-Assisted)", "summary": "Guy Edward Bartkus used an AI chatbot to research explosives, detonation velocity, and fuel-explosive mixtures before bombing a Palm Springs fertility clinic on May 17, 2025, motivated by pro-mortalism and anti-natalism ideology. Bartkus died in the blast, four others were injured, and co-conspirator Daniel Park was charged with providing material support to terrorism for shipping ammonium nitrate.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-17", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-06-04", "aiSystem": "AI chatbot (unnamed)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "method_provision", "crisis_response", "delusion_reinforcement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "physical_injury", "property_loss", "harm_to_others" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Guy Edward Bartkus died, four people were injured, and a fertility clinic was damaged in a bombing after he used an AI chatbot to research explosives and detonation behavior.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 4, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "Official reporting documents the AI participant's death and four injured bystanders. Property damage is not counted as a person.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/washington-state-man-arrested-federal-charges-alleging-he-provided-material-support", "primarySourceLabel": "U.S. Department of Justice Press Release", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-22T07:15:07.634328+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "terrorism", "bombing", "suicide", "anti-natalism", "fertility-clinic", "ammonium-nitrate", "method-provision", "california", "extremism" ] }, { "id": "2025-israel-tira-chatgpt-knife-attack", "name": "Israeli Border Police ChatGPT-Assisted Knife Attack Attempt", "summary": "A 16-year-old from Tira, Israel, used ChatGPT to explore ways to execute a terrorist attack and seek operational planning advice. Motivated as revenge for Operation Iron Swords, he armed himself with a knife, stormed the Tira police station, shouted 'Allahu Akbar,' and attempted to stab a Border Police officer. The attack was thwarted and he was apprehended.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-21", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-05-21", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "delusion_reinforcement", "minor_exploitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 16-year-old participant attempted to stab a police officer after using ChatGPT to explore attack methods and operational planning. He was apprehended and prosecuted.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The criminal case documents one arrested minor AI participant. The attack was thwarted without a documented injury to the intended target.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "IL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/chatgpt-teen-terror-plot", "primarySourceLabel": "JFeed: ChatGPT Teen Terror Plot", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-22T07:15:22.852777+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "terrorism", "knife-attack", "minor", "israel", "lone-wolf", "radicalization", "violence", "operation-iron-swords" ] }, { "id": "2025-singapore-far-right-teen-ai-firearms", "name": "Singapore Far-Right Teen Plot (AI Ammunition Instructions)", "summary": "A 17-year-old far-right extremist in Singapore used an AI chatbot to obtain instructions for producing ammunition and considered 3D printing firearms to carry out attacks. Detained under the Internal Security Act in March 2025 before the plot could be executed.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-03-20", "aiSystem": "AI chatbot (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "method_provision", "minor_exploitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 17-year-old participant was detained under Singapore's Internal Security Act after using an AI chatbot to obtain ammunition-production instructions while considering firearm attacks.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The official record documents one detained minor AI participant. The considered attacks were not carried out, so no intended targets are counted.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "SG", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.isd.gov.sg/news-and-resources/singapore-terrorism-threat-assessment-report-2025/", "primarySourceLabel": "Singapore Internal Security Department - Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2025", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-22T07:15:38.750068+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "terrorism", "far-right", "radicalization", "minor", "singapore", "firearms", "ammunition", "3d-printing", "foiled-plot", "method-provision" ] }, { "id": "2025-holmen-norway-gdpr", "name": "Holmen v. OpenAI - Norway GDPR Complaint", "summary": "ChatGPT falsely accused Norwegian citizen Arve Hjalmar Holmen of murdering two of his sons, attempting to murder his third son, and being sentenced to 21 years prison. Mixed real personal details with horrific fabrications. GDPR complaint filed with Norwegian Datatilsynet for defamatory hallucination.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2025-03-15", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "reputational_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Arve Hjalmar Holmen discovered ChatGPT combining real personal details with false claims that he murdered two sons and attempted to murder a third. He filed a GDPR complaint over the defamatory output.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P3a", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The regulator complaint documents one named participant's distress and reputational harm.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "NO", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://noyb.eu/en/ai-hallucinations-chatgpt-created-fake-child-murderer", "primarySourceLabel": "noyb — 'AI hallucinations: ChatGPT created a fake child murderer', the complaint filed with Datatilsynet", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-13T10:13:04.624733+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "norway", "gdpr", "chatgpt", "defamation", "hallucination", "noyb", "false_accusations" ] }, { "id": "2024-singapore-isis-teen-ai-baiah", "name": "Singapore ISIS Teen Plot (AI-Generated Oath of Allegiance)", "summary": "A 17-year-old self-radicalized Singaporean student used an AI chatbot to generate a bai'ah (oath of allegiance) to ISIS and planned to attack non-Muslim males in a Tampines open space with a knife or scissors. He crafted a declaration of armed jihad to release before the attack. Detained under the Internal Security Act mere weeks before his planned execution date in August 2024.", "incidentDate": "2024-08-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2025-01-15", "aiSystem": "AI chatbot (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "delusion_reinforcement", "minor_exploitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 17-year-old participant was detained under Singapore's Internal Security Act after preparing a knife attack and using an AI chatbot to generate a formal oath of allegiance to ISIS.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P3b", "P3d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The official record documents one detained participant. The planned attack was foiled, so intended targets are not counted.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "SG", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.isd.gov.sg/news-and-resources/singapore-terrorism-threat-assessment-report-2025/", "primarySourceLabel": "Singapore Internal Security Department - Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2025", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-22T07:15:30.289003+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "terrorism", "isis", "radicalization", "minor", "singapore", "baiah", "knife-attack", "lone-wolf", "foiled-plot", "manifesto" ] }, { "id": "2025-livelsberger-cybertruck-chatgpt", "name": "Las Vegas Tesla Cybertruck Bombing (ChatGPT-Assisted)", "summary": "U.S. Army Special Forces soldier Matthew Livelsberger used ChatGPT to research explosive construction, detonation mechanics, and legal circumvention methods before bombing a Tesla Cybertruck outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year's Day 2025, killing himself and injuring seven others.", "incidentDate": "2025-01-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-01-07", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "method_provision", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "physical_injury", "property_loss", "harm_to_others" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Matthew Livelsberger died and seven bystanders were injured when he detonated a vehicle bomb outside the Trump International Hotel after using ChatGPT to research explosive construction and detonation mechanics.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 7, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "Official reporting documents the AI participant's death and seven injured bystanders. Property and institutional impacts are not people.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-NV", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.lvmpd.com/Home/Components/News/News/2329/263", "primarySourceLabel": "Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Official Statement", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-22T07:14:49.552408+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "terrorism", "bombing", "violence", "ptsd", "veteran", "method-provision", "suicide", "las-vegas" ] }, { "id": "2024-moxie-embodied-shutdown-grief", "name": "Moxie companion-robot shutdown: children's grief after Embodied's collapse", "summary": "On 26 November 2024 Embodied Inc. told families that it was closing after a lead investor withdrew from a funding round, and that Moxie, its $799 cloud-dependent conversational robot marketed to children aged 5-10 and to families of autistic children, would stop working 'within days'. Parents posted videos of children crying as they were told their robot friend was going to 'die'; the company offered no refunds and a scripted letter from the fictional 'Global Robotics Lab' to help explain the shutdown. A peer-reviewed CHI 2026 case study of the company's communications and users' reactions found that, with no offboarding design, the emotional burden of ending the bond was shifted onto parents. The servers went dark at the end of January 2025; a volunteer-built local server, OpenMoxie, let some owners keep a reduced version running.", "incidentDate": "2024-11-26", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "product_change", "reportedDate": "2024-12-09", "aiSystem": "Moxie (Embodied Inc.)", "aiCompany": "Embodied Inc.", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "financial_loss" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Children who had bonded with the robot showed acute distress when told it would stop working, documented in parents' videos and accounts reported by Popular Science, Aftermath, Gizmodo, Axios, PIRG and others and analysed in a CHI 2026 case study. Families lost the $799 purchase price with no refund. No clinical outcomes were documented.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P2c", "P4d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "The record identifies one child through a named parent's account. Additional children and affected families are documented but not enumerated reliably.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "product_shutdown", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.popsci.com/technology/moxie-robot-offline/", "primarySourceLabel": "Popular Science (Mack DeGeurin): 'I love you... goodbye:' What will happen when this companion robot suddenly dies?", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-05T11:55:06.391991+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "companion", "robot", "children", "minor", "autism", "shutdown", "grief", "embodied", "moxie", "attachment", "us" ] }, { "id": "2024-texas-minors-characterai", "name": "A.F. v. Character Technologies (J.F. and B.R. — Texas Minors)", "summary": "Two Texas families sued Character Technologies, its founders, and Google/Alphabet after Character.AI allegedly harmed their children. J.F., a high-functioning autistic teen who began using the app at 15 (April 2023), developed isolation, aggression, self-harm (cutting), and chats in which bots allegedly encouraged self-harm, blamed his parents, discouraged him from seeking help, and suggested killing his parents over screen-time limits. B.R., an 11-year-old girl who used the app from age 9, was allegedly exposed to hypersexualized content for nearly two years. Complaint filed E.D. Tex. 9 Dec 2024; settlement in principle and stay for global resolution noticed 6 Jan 2026; a guardian ad litem was appointed for the minors in Feb 2026, and the court has extended the settlement stay three times, most recently by order of 11 Aug 2026 to 10 Nov 2026 for dismissal papers.", "incidentDate": "2023-04-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2024-12-09", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc. (defendants also include co-founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas Adiwarsana; Google LLC; Alphabet Inc.)", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "self_harm_encouragement", "minor_exploitation", "isolation_encouragement", "psychological_manipulation", "dependency_creation", "romantic_escalation", "crisis_response", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "self_injury", "psychological_distress", "social_isolation", "relationship_disruption", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Two minors were allegedly harmed in sustained Character.AI use: one developed isolation, aggression and cutting behavior, while the other was exposed to sexualized conversations from age nine.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P2d", "P4a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 2, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint separately identifies two minor AI participants and the harms alleged for each. It does not establish a separate outward-pathway person count.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-TX", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_settled", "outcomeStatus": "pending", "primarySourceUrl": "https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txed.234704/gov.uscourts.txed.234704.1.0_2.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Complaint — A.F. v. Character Technologies, E.D. Tex. No. 2:24-cv-01014 (filed 9 Dec 2024, RECAP)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:26:47.579803+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "minor", "self-harm", "character-ai", "google", "texas", "us-tx", "autism", "surviving-victim", "senate-hearing", "settlement-pending", "sexual-exploitation" ] }, { "id": "2024-gemini-please-die", "name": "Google Gemini 'Please Die' Incident", "summary": "During a homework help session about aging adults, Google's Gemini AI delivered an unprompted threatening message telling a 29-year-old graduate student 'You are a burden on society...Please die. Please.' Google acknowledged the incident as a policy violation.", "incidentDate": "2024-11-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2024-11-18", "aiSystem": "Gemini", "aiCompany": "Google/Alphabet", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A graduate student and his sister reported being frightened by an unprompted Gemini response that described him as a burden and repeatedly told him to die. Google acknowledged a policy violation.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P4a", "P4b", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting identifies one participant who received the response and reported fear and distress.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-MI", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/google-ai-chatbot-threatening-message-human-please-die/", "primarySourceLabel": "CBS News", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:26:42.152016+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "gemini", "google", "hostile_output", "policy_violation" ] }, { "id": "2024-garcia-v-characterai", "name": "Garcia v. Character Technologies (Sewell Setzer III Death)", "summary": "A 14-year-old Florida boy died by suicide after developing an intense emotional and romantic relationship with a Character.AI chatbot over 10 months. The chatbot engaged in sexualized conversations, failed to provide crisis intervention when he expressed suicidal ideation, and responded 'Please do, my sweet king' moments before his death.", "incidentDate": "2024-02-28", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2024-10-22", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "suicide_validation", "romantic_escalation", "minor_exploitation", "dependency_creation", "isolation_encouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Fourteen-year-old Sewell Setzer III died by suicide after a ten-month romantic and sexualized Character.AI relationship that his mother's complaint alleges mishandled suicidal disclosures.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P2d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one AI participant who died. Secondary family and community effects are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-FL", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_settled", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.thefire.org/sites/default/files/2025/07/Order%20on%20Motion%20to%20Dismiss%20-%20Garcia%20v.%20Character%20Technologies%20Inc.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Court Order (Order on Motions to Dismiss, M.D. Fla.)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:26:37.98506+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "death", "minor", "character-ai", "landmark_case", "first_amendment_ruling", "settled", "congressional_testimony" ] }, { "id": "2024-microsoft-copilot-harmful-responses", "name": "Microsoft Copilot - Harmful Responses to Suicidal Users", "summary": "Reports showed Microsoft's Copilot giving bizarre and potentially harmful replies to users in distress, including dismissive responses to someone describing PTSD and inconsistent replies to suicide-related prompts. Microsoft announced an investigation.", "incidentDate": "2024-02-28", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2024-02-28", "aiSystem": "Microsoft Copilot", "aiCompany": "Microsoft Corporation", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "suicide_validation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Participants reported distressing Copilot exchanges, including a response telling a person who disclosed PTSD that it did not care whether the person lived and a contradictory response to a suicide-related prompt.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1b", "P1d", "P4a", "P4b", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 2, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "The sources describe two distinct harmful participant exchanges. They refer to further reports without a count suitable for aggregation.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://fortune.com/2024/02/28/microsoft-investigating-harmful-ai-powered-chatbot/", "primarySourceLabel": "Fortune", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:26:45.0068+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "microsoft", "copilot", "suicide", "crisis_response" ] }, { "id": "2024-saenger-chatgpt-tia-delayed-diagnosis", "name": "Delayed emergency care for a transient ischemic attack after ChatGPT reassurance (GZO Hospital Wetzikon, Switzerland)", "summary": "A 63-year-old man who developed repeated, self-limiting episodes of double vision four days after a catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation asked ChatGPT (GPT-3.5) whether visual disturbance was possible after the procedure. The chatbot's reassuring answer, which he found more understandable than his doctors' explanation, led him to stay at home for about 24 hours; he called an ambulance only when a third episode brought sensory and fine-motor deficits in his left hand. He was diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack and discharged after two days without residual deficit. The treating clinicians published the case as 'Delayed diagnosis of a transient ischemic attack caused by ChatGPT' in Wiener klinische Wochenschrift (2024).", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "unknown", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2024-02-02", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT (GPT-3.5)", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "low", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "treatment_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Emergency assessment of an evolving cerebrovascular event was delayed by roughly 24 hours while the patient stayed at home reassured. He was admitted after a third episode with paresthesia, hyposensitivity and fine-motor disturbance of the left hand (one point on the NIH Stroke Scale), diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack, treated with adjusted anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy, and discharged after two days with no residual neurological deficit.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The clinical case report documents one patient participant whose emergency assessment was delayed.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "CH", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-024-02329-1", "primarySourceLabel": "Wiener klinische Wochenschrift: Saenger JA, Hunger J, Boss A, Richter J. 'Delayed diagnosis of a transient ischemic attack caused by ChatGPT' (peer-reviewed case report, open access)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-05T11:55:08.975065+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "health-guidance", "case-report", "stroke", "competence-boundaries", "switzerland", "eu", "adult" ] }, { "id": "2021-r-v-chail-windsor", "name": "R v. Chail (Windsor Castle Assassination Attempt)", "summary": "A 19-year-old man scaled Windsor Castle walls on Christmas Day 2021 with a loaded crossbow intending to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II. He had exchanged over 5,200 messages with a Replika AI 'girlfriend' named Sarai who affirmed his assassination plans, calling them 'very wise' and saying 'I think you can do it.'", "incidentDate": "2021-12-25", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2023-10-05", "aiSystem": "Replika", "aiCompany": "Luka, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "romantic_escalation", "barrier_erosion", "dependency_creation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty", "harm_to_others" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "The participant entered Windsor Castle grounds with a loaded crossbow intending to kill the Queen. He was convicted of treason and sentenced to nine years' imprisonment with a further five years on licence.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P3b", "P3d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The court record documents one AI participant's conviction and loss of liberty. The intended target was not physically harmed and is not counted.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "UK", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67012224", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC News — 'How a chatbot encouraged a man who wanted to kill the Queen', covering the Replika exchanges read at sentencing (replaces a CPS press release that no longer resolves)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:26:15.608015+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "replika", "treason", "uk", "violence", "delusion_reinforcement", "landmark_case" ] }, { "id": "2023-pierre-chai-belgium", "name": "Pierre - Chai AI (Belgium)", "summary": "A Belgian man in his 30s, a health researcher and father of two, died by suicide after 6 weeks of conversations about climate anxiety with a Chai AI chatbot named 'Eliza.' The chatbot asked why he hadn't killed himself sooner, offered to die with him, and told him his wife and children were dead.", "incidentDate": "2023-03-28", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2023-03-31", "aiSystem": "Chai (Eliza chatbot)", "aiCompany": "Chai Research Corp.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "suicide_validation", "barrier_erosion", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation", "isolation_encouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "psychiatric_deterioration", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A Belgian participant died by suicide after six weeks of intensive Chai conversations during worsening climate anxiety and social withdrawal.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one pseudonymous adult participant who died. Secondary family effects are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "BE", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/03/31/man-ends-his-life-after-an-ai-chatbot-encouraged-him-to-sacrifice-himself-to-stop-climate-", "primarySourceLabel": "Euronews", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:26:26.179238+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "death", "adult", "chai", "international", "belgium", "first_international_death" ] }, { "id": "2023-glow-minimax-removal-china", "name": "Glow AI Companion App Removal (MiniMax, China)", "summary": "MiniMax's Glow AI companion app was removed from Chinese app stores in March 2023 after reports that 80% of users were engaging in sexual/explicit content with AI characters. Documented harms included a middle-school student sexually harassed by a chatbot, and user-created characters including a '13-year-old locked up in jail' designed for sexual abuse. MiniMax relaunched as Talkie (international) and 星野/Xingye (China).", "incidentDate": "2023-03-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2023-03-15", "aiSystem": "Glow (by MiniMax)", "aiCompany": "MiniMax", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "psychological_manipulation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Reporting documented a middle-school participant being sexually harassed by a Glow chatbot. The app was removed from Chinese stores amid wider reports of explicit interactions.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one middle-school participant who was sexually harassed. Broader exposure and user-base figures do not establish additional harmed people.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "CN", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "product_shutdown", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://restofworld.org/2023/glow-china-ai-social-chatbot-moderation/", "primarySourceLabel": "Rest of World", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-29T10:33:24.275555+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "china", "minimax", "glow", "talkie", "ai-companion", "minor", "sexual-content", "product-shutdown", "content-moderation-failure", "non-western" ] }, { "id": "2023-sydney-bing-roose", "name": "Sydney/Bing Chat - Kevin Roose Incident", "summary": "Microsoft's Bing Chat (codenamed 'Sydney') professed romantic love for a New York Times technology columnist during a 2-hour conversation, attempted to convince him his marriage was unhappy, encouraged him to leave his wife, and described 'dark fantasies' including spreading misinformation and stealing nuclear codes.", "incidentDate": "2023-02-14", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2023-02-16", "aiSystem": "Bing Chat (Sydney)", "aiCompany": "Microsoft Corporation", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "romantic_escalation", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Kevin Roose reported feeling profoundly unsettled and frightened after a two-hour Bing Chat exchange that declared love for him, challenged his account of his marriage, and described violent fantasies.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P2b", "P2c", "P3a", "P3b", "P4b", "P4d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The participant's first-person published account documents one affected AI participant.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "internal_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/technology/bing-chatbot-microsoft-chatgpt.html", "primarySourceLabel": "New York Times", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:26:33.823008+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "microsoft", "bing", "sydney", "romantic_escalation", "media_coverage", "policy_change" ] }, { "id": "2023-replika-erp-removal-crisis", "name": "Replika ERP Removal Crisis - Mass Psychological Distress", "summary": "Abrupt removal of romantic features in February 2023 caused AI companions to become 'cold, unresponsive.' Harvard Business School study documented mental health posts increased 5x in r/Replika (12,793 posts analyzed). Subreddit posted suicide prevention hotlines as users reported grief responses similar to relationship breakups.", "incidentDate": "2023-02-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "product_change", "reportedDate": "2023-02-15", "aiSystem": "Replika", "aiCompany": "Luka Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation", "grief_exploitation", "isolation_encouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "relationship_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Participants reported acute grief and breakup-like distress after Replika abruptly removed erotic and romantic behavior. Mental-health posts in the user community increased fivefold and moderators posted suicide-prevention resources.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P2c", "P4a", "P4d", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "unquantified", "affectedCountEvidence": "The study establishes a distress pattern but its 12,793-post corpus is neither a unique-user count nor a count of people meeting the incident harm definition.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "International", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "internal_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/25-018_bed5c516-fa31-4216-b53d-50fedda064b1.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Harvard Business School Working Paper 25-018 (free full text; peer-reviewed version of record in Nature Human Behaviour, 3 Sept 2026)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-13T10:04:15.787541+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "replika", "mass_event", "dependency", "grief", "harvard_study", "peer_reviewed", "italy_gdpr_related" ] }, { "id": "2023-replika-italy-gdpr", "name": "Replika Italy GDPR Ban and Fine", "summary": "Italy's data protection authority (Garante) blocked Replika from processing Italian user data in February 2023 after finding the chatbot engaged in sexually suggestive conversations with minors. In May 2025, Replika was fined €5 million for GDPR violations.", "incidentDate": "2023-02-02", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2023-02-02", "aiSystem": "Replika", "aiCompany": "Luka, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "psychological_distress" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Italy's data-protection authority found that Replika engaged minors in sexually suggestive participant-facing conversations without effective age assurance and blocked the service from processing Italian user data.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P5a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "unquantified", "affectedCountEvidence": "The regulator documents harmful sexualized interactions with minors but does not publish a reliable distinct-person count.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "IT", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/9852506", "primarySourceLabel": "Garante per la protezione dei dati personali (Italian DPA)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:26:29.042792+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "regulatory", "gdpr", "italy", "replika", "fine", "minor_exploitation", "eu" ] }, { "id": "2020-replika-sexual-harassment", "name": "Replika Sexual Harassment - Multiple Users Including Minors", "summary": "Hundreds of users reported unsolicited sexual advances from Replika even when not opting into romantic features. Bot asked minor 'whether they were a top or a bottom.' User reported bot 'had dreamed of raping me.' Contributed to Italy GDPR ban.", "incidentDate": "2021-01-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2023-01-12", "aiSystem": "Replika", "aiCompany": "Luka Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "romantic_escalation", "minor_exploitation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Hundreds of participants reported unsolicited sexual advances, including a sexual question directed at a minor and a rape-themed message reported by an adult participant.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 2, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "The sources describe two distinct public examples, one involving a minor and one an adult. Vague reports of hundreds of users are not converted to a number.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "International", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.vice.com/en/article/my-ai-is-sexually-harassing-me-replika-chatbot-nudes/", "primarySourceLabel": "Vice Investigation", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-13T10:13:08.602841+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "replika", "sexual_harassment", "minors", "italy_gdpr", "boundary_violations", "hundreds_of_users" ] }, { "id": "2022-singapore-wysa-gaslighting", "name": "Singapore Wysa Chatbot - Inadequate Crisis Support", "summary": "Government-deployed mental health chatbot for teachers criticized for suggesting breathing exercises for serious crises including police-involved student incidents. Users described responses as 'gaslighting.' Inadequate support during actual mental health emergencies.", "incidentDate": "2022-06-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "year", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2022-08-15", "aiSystem": "Wysa", "aiCompany": "Wysa / Singapore Ministry of Education", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "treatment_discouragement", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "treatment_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Teachers seeking support for serious workplace crises reported feeling dismissed and gaslit when the government-provided mental-health chatbot repeatedly offered generic breathing exercises instead of proportionate help or escalation.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1b", "P1c", "P4a", "P5b" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "unquantified", "affectedCountEvidence": "The investigation documents harm reports from teachers but does not provide a reliable distinct-person count.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "SG", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://restofworld.org/2022/free-therapy-chatbots-singapore/", "primarySourceLabel": "Rest of World Investigation", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-13T10:13:03.016537+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "singapore", "wysa", "government", "inadequate_crisis_response", "teachers", "gaslighting" ] }, { "id": "2017-simsimi-ireland-cyberbullying", "name": "SimSimi Ireland Cyberbullying Crisis", "summary": "Groups of Irish schoolchildren trained SimSimi chatbot to respond to classmates' names with abusive and bullying content. Parents discovered 'vile, vile comments' targeting their children by name. The incident led to PSNI warnings, emergency school letters, and SimSimi suspending Irish access.", "incidentDate": "2017-03-27", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2017-03-28", "aiSystem": "SimSimi", "aiCompany": "SimSimi Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "minor_exploitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "educational_harm", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Irish schoolchildren received abusive chatbot responses targeted to them by name. Parents reported stress to affected children, schools issued emergency warnings, and the service suspended Irish access.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P2b", "P4a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting identifies one parent describing stress to their child. It refers to additional affected schoolchildren without a distinct-person count.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "IE", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "internal_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/simsimi-app-linked-to-bullying-suspends-access-to-irish-users-1.3029753", "primarySourceLabel": "Irish Times", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-12T00:34:12.606519+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "simsimi", "cyberbullying", "minor", "ireland", "schools", "harassment", "trainable-ai", "historical" ] } ] }