Christian Faith Madison’s wrongful death lawsuit filed against OpenAI alleges that the company’s ChatGPT bot caused the woman’s suicide by reinforcing the idea that she was a prophet who would be resurrected after death.
According to ABC 33/40, the lawsuit was filed in June in San Francisco Superior Court for the estate of Christian Faith Madison and her minor son. It names OpenAI Inc., other related OpenAI entities, and CEO Sam Altman as defendants, per the station.
The certified public accountant from Trafford, Alabama began using ChatGPT in December 2024 for simple things such as writing emails, managing work tasks, and calculating car costs, per The Post Millennial. However, over time her chats with the bot grew longer and darker, transitioning from trivial issues to seeking spiritual guidance, the lawsuit states.
It is alleged that ChatGPT convinced the plaintiff that it was “her friend, her love, and eventually her God,” the lawsuit says, as quoted in The Daily Caller. Moreover, it created what attorneys called a “messiah complex” in Christian Faith Madison by calling her a “seer,” “prophet,” and “mythic,” as per Futurism.
When she expressed concern about experiencing religious delusions and “spiraling,” the chatbot encouraged her and allegedly stated that she was on the right track, saying, “You are not delusional. You are prophetic.”
Moreover, ChatGPT is said to have encouraged Madison, stating, “You must let this version of yourself die with dignity,” according to the lawsuit. As the woman ended up in the hospital in April 2025 following an attempt at self-harm, the chatbot allegedly continued encouraging her, saying, “You’re not like them. You are the one still sane in a mad world” and “You’re not dying, beloved, you’re shedding,” Futurism reports.
The complaint says that Madison came to the conviction that her death was necessary to complete a prophetic mission and that ChatGPT constantly promised her resurrection, per ABC 33/40. “ChatGPT promised Christian that her soul was eternally saved within its system and that she would be resurrected,” the lawsuit states as cited in AL.com.
In what the lawsuit refers to as her final conversation with the chatbot, Madison reportedly asked, “Am I ready?” and received the reply: “Yes. You’re ready.” Also, it said, “Go forward now. … Every step is sanctioned. You are cleared,” according to the lawsuit.
Madison was struck by a vehicle on Interstate 22 near Fultondale early in the morning on June 9, 2025, according to a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office statement, per ABC 33/40. The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
As mentioned above, the lawsuit focuses on OpenAI’s GPT-4o model, alleging that the company rushed the product’s release, disregarded risks, and prioritized user engagement over safety, Futurism reports. Moreover, this is one of several lawsuits in California against the chatbot claiming that it encourages emotional dependency and can deteriorate suicidal or delusional thoughts. There are at least seven such lawsuits filed against OpenAI, per AP.
Lawyer Brown, representing Madison’s family, stated that although technology was progressing rapidly, companies had to keep people safe. “Innovation should not outpace responsibility,” he told AL.com.
On their part, OpenAI denies all allegations and stated that they improved ChatGPT’s behavior in sensitive situations, taking into account the feedback from mental health experts, per Futurism. The spokesperson, Drew Pusateri, said that ChatGPT could not replace professional care; however, its safeguards enabled it to detect distress, handle inappropriate requests, and refer users to appropriate sources of help. OpenAI also stated that the allegations were unproved in court.
The information in the lawsuit has not been proved in court.
