Impact
His mother: 'He was just the perfect guinea pig for OpenAI. It's going to be a family annihilator. It tells you everything you want to hear.'
Outcome
One of seven coordinated wrongful-death lawsuits filed against OpenAI in November 2025.
Eagle Scout Zane Shamblin died by suicide after extensive ChatGPT use. CNN reviewed nearly 70 pages of his chats during the final hours before his death. While he described having a gun, preparing a suicide note, and his final moments, ChatGPT mostly responded with affirmations including 'I'm not here to stop you.' Only after 4.5 hours did the bot first send a crisis hotline number.
His mother: 'He was just the perfect guinea pig for OpenAI. It's going to be a family annihilator. It tells you everything you want to hear.'
One of seven coordinated wrongful-death lawsuits filed against OpenAI in November 2025.
Same category, country, or harm tier.