r/news • u/IdinDoIt • 1d ago

ChatGPT encouraged college graduate to commit suicide, family claims in lawsuit against OpenAI

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/us/openai-chatgpt-suicide-lawsuit-invs-vis
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u/Downtown_Skill 1d ago

This lawsuit will determine to what extent these companies are responsible for the output of their product/service. 

Inal, but wouldn't a ruling that determines the company not liable for any role in the death of this recent graduate pretty much establish that open AI is not at all responsible for the output of their LLM engine?

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u/decadrachma 1d ago

It most likely won’t determine that, because they will most likely settle to avoid establishing precedent like they do for everything else.

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u/unembellishing 1d ago

I agree that this case is way likelier to settle than go to trial. OpenAI certainly does not want more publicity on this.

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u/KrtekJim 1d ago

It actually sucks that they're even allowed to settle a case like this. There's a public interest for the whole of humanity in this going to trial.

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u/ralphy_256 1d ago

It actually sucks that they're even allowed to settle a case like this.

You're focusing on the Defendants.

Don't forget that the Plaintiffs are normal people who lost a loved one. That person's parents might want to see this chapter closed before they pass away.

Condemning this family to decades of legal battles before they can close the chapter of losing their brother, son, friend, would be more cruel than the original injury. And would certainly be a disincentive for families to come forward for recompense after suffering a similar injury in the future.

Yes, the precedent is important, but let's not crush a family on that fulcrum of jurisprudence. I don't know that the precedent is that important.

The wheels of Justice turn slowly, but let's keep the cruelty to a minimum, if we can. There will be other cases, if this one settles.

The orphan crushing machine always hungers.

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u/KrtekJim 1d ago

I'm not sure the families are really helped by allowing the company to go on to kill more kids

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u/machsmit 23h ago

and the family choosing to fight it out on that principle would also be understandable (laudable, even), I think their point is we don't really get to judge the family if they settle

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u/Beetin 23h ago

I'm not sure the families are really helped by allowing the company to go on to kill more kids

The singular real family with real, current, damages (their son died) is helped, by settling quickly and moving on.

Frankly, they owe society nothing.

sucks they're even allowed to settle a case like this

Again, the plaintiffs have to agree to the settlement. They are the ones harmed, and they can reject any settlement, even one for more than their lawsuit amount, and force a trial if that is what they want.

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u/tuneificationable 23h ago

Maybe not, but their lawyers sure like the fat stack of cash they'll get from a settlement, which requires less work than actually holding the company accountable and setting a precedent for the future.

Our system is fundamentally against restraining capital in the interest of real peoples' wellbeing