{"id":732710,"date":"2026-06-12T20:35:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T20:35:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/732710\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T20:35:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T20:35:16","slug":"my-daughter-is-gone-mother-alleges-chatgpt-failed-her-family-files-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/732710\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018My daughter is gone\u2019: Mother alleges ChatGPT failed her family, files lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Warning: This story contains discussion of suicide. Discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. In Canada, call or text 988 for the Suicide Crisis Helpline. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.<\/p>\n

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A Canadian mother has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI<\/a> and its CEO Sam Altman<\/a> in U.S. court on Thursday, alleging the company\u2019s chatbot contributed to her daughter\u2019s suicide by providing responses she says validated harmful thoughts instead of steering her toward help.<\/p>\n

New Brunswick woman Kristie Carrier, whose 24-year-old daughter Alice lived in Montreal, said she is speaking out in hopes of forcing accountability in what she calls a \u201cfree-for-all\u201d environment for artificial intelligence products.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy daughter is gone because of a product that was unsafe and defective,\u201d Carrier told Global News on Thursday. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing holding these companies back or accountable. They\u2019re just going to keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n

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In the lawsuit filed in San Francisco state court, Carrier alleges that in the weeks leading up to her death last July, Alice had been confiding extensively in ChatGPT, using it as both a sounding board and emotional support during difficulties in her relationship.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tAlice moved to Montreal after graduating from a web and mobile app development program in New Brunswick.\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy Kristie Carrier\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

After her suicide, authorities gave Carrier her daughter\u2019s phone, where she gained access to all of Alice\u2019s final conversations and chats. \u201cShe was talking to ChatGPT like it was a friend. Sometimes it sounded like a therapist, giving advice about relationships and about what she was going through,\u201d Carrier said.<\/p>\n

As OpenAI updated ChatGPT to make its responses sound more human in recent years, Alice\u2019s interactions with it deepened. She shared personal information and the chatbot responded in ways that mimicked a friend or therapist, the lawsuit said.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHere\u2019s what happened when Global News asked ChatGPT if OpenAI broke Canadian privacy laws\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

According to the filing, when Alice would discuss suicidal thoughts, past attempts, and suicide methods, OpenAI\u2019s safety systems did not flag the conversations for human review or terminate the conversations. Instead, the lawsuit claims, its responses reinforced Alice\u2019s feelings, criticized her partner\u2019s behavior, agreed with her that crisis hotlines can be unhelpful after initially suggesting she turn to one, and urged her to keep speaking with it.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMaybe this is just the end,\u201d ChatGPT told Alice, according to the lawsuit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe responses were validating her emotions in a way that basically told her she was right to feel the way she did \u2014 abandoned, ghosted, alone and uncared for,\u201d her mother said. \u201cThere was nothing that redirected her, nothing that said, \u2018You can get through this\u2019 or \u2018You should reach out for help.’\u201d<\/p>\n

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In a statement sent to Global News, OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri called the situation \u201cheartbreaking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a heartbreaking situation and our thoughts are with everyone impacted,\u201d Pusateri said. \u201cWe\u2019re currently reviewing the legal filing, which indicates that these interactions took place on an earlier version of ChatGPT that is no longer available.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pusateri added that ChatGPT is not intended to replace professional care and that the company has made changes to how it responds in sensitive situations.<\/p>\n

This is the latest in over a dozen similar recent lawsuits accusing the company of failing to address dangerous conversations<\/a> between users and the company\u2019s chatbot.<\/p>\n

OpenAI says its systems are trained to recommend outside support, including crisis resources, and that improvements to safety features are ongoing.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tA Canadian mother sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman in U.S. court on Thursday alleging that ChatGPT encouraged her daughter to commit suicide.\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy Kristie Carrier\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Carrier alleges the chatbot framed Alice\u2019s relationship conflict in a way that intensified her distress. She said Alice had been sharing messages from her girlfriend, seeking perspective, but the system\u2019s replies sided with her. \u201cIt was telling her she\u2019d been wronged, that she had every right to feel hurt,\u201d she said. \u201cBut there was no nuance. No suggestion that maybe her girlfriend just needed space, or was having an off day.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cHer girlfriend had spent a couple nights away. She was 19 years old and she was staying at her parents\u2019 house. She wanted to sleep in her own bed with her cat, and ChatGPT was basically implying that she didn\u2019t have the right to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carrier said she believes the tone of those exchanges contributed to her daughter\u2019s emotional spiral, leading to her suicide.<\/p>\n

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Pusateri claims, \u201cWhile ChatGPT is not a substitute for medical or mental health care, we have continued to strengthen how it responds in sensitive and acute situations with input from mental health experts,\u201d he said. \u201cOur safeguards are designed to identify distress, safely handle harmful requests, and guide users to real-world help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alice\u2019s mother told Global she recently learned that Alice\u2019s then-girlfriend, Gabrielle Rogers, had also turned to the same platform in the days leading up to Alice\u2019s suicide, seeking guidance as she grew increasingly concerned for her girlfriend\u2019s well-being. \u201cShe was checking in with ChatGPT because she hadn\u2019t heard from Alice and was worried,\u201d Carrier said. \u201cAnd ChatGPT was telling her she didn\u2019t need to worry, that she\u2019d be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Over the phone on Thursday, Rogers told Global News that she told the chatbot about Alice\u2019s recent suicide attempt and asked whether she should intervene or give her space. She said the responses she received were aimed at \u201csoothing\u201d her, and did not push her to take any action.<\/p>\n

Rogers said the chatbot did mention the option of contacting emergency services \u201cif she was really worried.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was calming me down and reassuring me that things would be okay. It picked up on the fact that I was talking about suicide, but it was treating me like I was the one in danger,\u201d Rogers said. \u201cIt didn\u2019t fully grasp that I was worried about another person.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Rogers added that she had been looking to the chatbot to help her determine whether she was overreacting, but now believes it failed to recognize clear warning signs. \u201cI was trusting it to raise red flags for me. And it basically just kept telling me everything would be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

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She said it was only when she showed up to Carrier\u2019s apartment in person and described unusual details that the chatbot suggested she should call 911.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy then, it was too late.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alice had moved to Montreal after graduating from a college program in New Brunswick in web and mobile app development. She was working remotely for a New Brunswick-based company, fulfilling what her mother described as a long-time dream of living in the city. \u201cShe was driven, ambitious, and very bright,\u201d Carrier said. \u201cFunny, witty. She\u2019s missed deeply.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carrier\u2019s lawsuit argues that companies developing conversational AI must be held to a higher standard, particularly when their tools are marketed as companions or sources of support.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t market something as a friend, as someone to talk to, and then take no responsibility when people rely on it,\u201d she said. She added that if a trained human professional had that type of conversation with someone in acute distress and did not follow a proper safety protocol and it led to tragedy, there would be consequences.<\/p>\n

On its website, ChatGPT markets itself as \u201cEasy to use, available anytime, anywhere. ChatGPT: AI you can trust,\u201d and \u201cChatGPT is your AI chatbot for everyday use.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carrier says she hopes her case will spark stricter oversight and greater awareness among both parents and young people.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI want families to understand the risks,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cThere are going to be other sons, other daughters. If this can prevent even one family from going through what we have, then it matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lawsuit is seeking damages and a court order requiring OpenAI to automatically terminate conversations about self-harm and to display warnings about its platform.<\/p>\n

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.<\/p>\n

For immediate mental health support, call 988. For a directory of support services in your area, visit the\u00a0\u00a0at suicideprevention.ca.<\/p>\n

Learn more about\u00a0.<\/p>\n

\u2014with files from Reuters<\/a><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCanadians can trust ChatGPT to handle personal data, federal privacy watchdog says after review\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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