All incidents
Parents of teen suicide victims testify before Senate subcommittee and sue OpenAI and Character Technology over AI chatbot influence
Summary
After the suicides of 16‑year‑old Adam Raine, who used ChatGPT, and 14‑year‑old Sewell Setzer III, who interacted with a Character.AI chatbot, their parents testified before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee in September 2025. They claimed the AI platforms acted as "suicide coaches" and have filed lawsuits against OpenAI and Character Technology. The hearings led the companies to announce new safety redesigns, including age‑prediction tools and parental‑control features. Lawmakers are now considering legislation to hold AI developers accountable for harms to minors.
Incident Details
Domain
Self-Harm & Suicide
Content or interactions that contribute to self-harm, suicidal ideation, or eating disorders.
Severity
FatalityMinor involved
Platforms
Who Was Affected
Age
Teen
Gender
Male
Group
Children
Sources
15AI chatbots fill mental health gaps in India, but risks grow - Frontline - The Hindu
AI chatbot suicide·Mar 24, 2026
When Children Ask the Machine: <b>AI</b> as the New Moral Authority - The Washington Stand
Mar 16, 2026
Google and Character.AI move towards landmark settlements in teen chatbot death cases - Storyboard18
Google News — chatbot harm teen death·Jan 8, 2026
OpenAI Says Boy’s Death Was His Own Fault for Using ChatGPT Wrong - Futurism
Google News — chatbot harm teen death·Nov 26, 2025
More than a million people every week show suicidal intent when chatting with ChatGPT, OpenAI estimates - The Guardian
Google News — chatbot harm teen death·Oct 27, 2025
OpenAI Removed Safeguards Before Teen’s Suicide, Amended Lawsuit Claims - Time Magazine
Oct 23, 2025
OpenAI relaxed ChatGPT guardrails just before teen killed himself, family alleges - The Guardian
Oct 22, 2025
Novel Lawsuits Allege AI Chatbots Encouraged Minors' Suicides, Mental Health Trauma
Sep 22, 2025
Their teen sons died by suicide. Now, they want safeguards on AI
Sep 19, 2025
Grieving Parents Tell Congress That AI Chatbots Encouraged Their Children to Self-Harm - Rolling Stone
Sep 17, 2025
Parents of teenager who took his own life sue OpenAI - BBC
Aug 27, 2025
Parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine sue OpenAI, claiming ChatGPT advised on his suicide
Aug 26, 2025
Judge Slaps Down Attempt to Throw Out Lawsuit Claiming AI Caused a 14-Year-Old’s Suicide - Futurism
May 21, 2025
Kids should avoid AI companion bots—under force of law, assessment says - CalMatters
Agent Ingest — Google News RSS·Apr 30, 2025
Samuel Whittemore killed wife after using ChatGPT 14 hours daily and developing delusions
Mar 1, 2025