US Man Sues OpenAI Over Alleged ChatGPT Poisoning Plot

WASHINGTON: (Staff Reporter) – A man from the US state of North Carolina has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman, alleging that his estranged wife used ChatGPT while planning to poison and kill him.

According to foreign media reports, James Gates filed the lawsuit last Thursday in the San Francisco County Superior Court. Gates survived an alleged poisoning incident last year, while his estranged wife, Cheryl Gates, has been charged with attempted murder.

The lawsuit claims that Cheryl held hundreds of conversations with ChatGPT during the summer and autumn of 2025, gradually developing a close relationship with the chatbot.

According to the legal filing, she initially sought advice on various personal matters, including her employment, her children’s activities, medication dosages and marital problems. However, the conversations allegedly shifted towards ways of poisoning her husband.

Gates’s lawyers allege that ChatGPT reinforced Cheryl’s suspicions, validated her concerns and helped her turn the alleged murder plan into an actionable scheme.

The lawsuit further claims that the chatbot provided information about toxic substances, their dosages, methods of administration and ways to conceal a poisoning incident.

According to the filing, Gates began noticing during the summer of 2025 that several drinks at home, including soft drinks and energy beverages, had an unusually bitter taste.

On July 10, 2025, his health reportedly deteriorated sharply. For around 72 hours, he experienced symptoms including heart-related problems, severe agitation, abdominal pain, weakness and mental confusion.

Gates reportedly began suspecting that he had been poisoned about two months later after discovering a handwritten note allegedly left by his wife.

The lawsuit claims that the note contained instructions involving poisonous plants and prescription medications, along with directions to delete ChatGPT conversations and log out of the account.

An OpenAI spokesperson told US media that user safety remained the company’s top priority. The spokesperson said the company had closed the user’s account and provided information to law enforcement agencies investigating the matter.

OpenAI is also facing other lawsuits over allegations involving harmful advice provided by ChatGPT, including cases brought by individuals in Washington and Florida concerning medical guidance.