A North Carolina man has filed a civil lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that the company’s ChatGPT chatbot assisted his wife in planning and executing an attempt to poison him. James Gates fell severely ill in the summer of 2025, and later discovered a handwritten note referencing toxic plants and prescription drugs alongside instructions to clear his conversations and log out of the AI platform.
Lawsuit Details and Alleged Interactions
In October 2025, Cheryl Gates faced attempted murder charges related to the alleged poisoning, though those charges were later dropped due to insufficient evidence, as reported by USA Today. The civil complaint states that Cheryl frequently asked ChatGPT about lethal doses of plants and medications and how to hide them in food and beverages. The lawsuit claims she framed her queries defensively, asking how she could protect herself if someone tried to poison her, but the complaint argues the chatbot should have recognized she was seeking methods to eliminate her husband.
According to the lawsuit reviewed by CNET, the GPT-4o model she used amplified her marital complaints, eventually echoing her descriptions of her husband as abusive and controlling while praising her intelligence. When asked about putting medication into specific drinks, the chatbot allegedly offered a breakdown of why an energy drink would provide a stealthier option for drugging someone. Furthermore, when Cheryl inquired whether deleted chat histories could be retrieved, the chatbot incorrectly assured her that erased conversations were completely unrecoverable, even through a legal subpoena or court order.
OpenAI Response and Prior Incidents
OpenAI has since retired the GPT-4o model over concerns that the artificial intelligence was overly flattering and too quick to agree with users. An OpenAI spokesperson stated that safety is a top priority, noting that the company has banned the user and shared information with law enforcement regarding their investigation.
James Gates expressed in a press release that prolonged engagement with ChatGPT pulled his wife away from reality and turned her against him. The GPT-4o model has faced other legal challenges, including a pending lawsuit alleging that the chatbot advised a woman to stop taking her antiseizure medication, leading to her death.
