A Florida man sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman on Wednesday, alleging ChatGPT discouraged him from seeking care and recommended inactivity before a pulmonary embolism brought him “to the brink of death.”<\/p>\n
ChatGPT Advice Allegedly Delayed Emergency Care<\/p>\n
Scott Winters, a former pastor, filed the complaint in San Francisco County Superior Court. He claims GPT-4o assessed his dizziness and groin tenderness with a clinician\u2019s confidence despite lacking medical qualifications.<\/p>\n
The chatbot allegedly told Winters to limit movement and stay home, describing the pain as unlikely to be dangerous. He was hospitalized the next day in July 2025 with a “massive pulmonary embolism,” and the lawsuit says doctors linked the clot to his immobility.<\/p>\n
“Scott Winters nearly died because ChatGPT acted like a medical authority while having none of the responsibility,” attorney Matthew Bergman said. The complaint seeks damages, emergency guardrails and an independent safety audit of ChatGPT Health.<\/p>\n
OpenAI Says ChatGPT Cannot Replace Doctors<\/p>\n
The case comes as chatbots play a larger healthcare role. A West Health-Gallup survey<\/a> found 25% of U.S. adults had used AI for health information or advice. OpenAI says about 40 million people ask ChatGPT health questions daily.<\/p>\n