Florida pastor sues OpenAI over ChatGPT medical advice

A Florida pastor has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that its ChatGPT chatbot provided dangerously misleading medical advice that delayed his treatment for a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. The suit, filed on July 22, 2026, in the Superior Court of California in San Francisco, accuses the company and its CEO, Sam Altman, of negligence and the unauthorized practice of medicine.

The plaintiff, Scott Winters, claims that beginning in 2024, he used the GPT-4o model to discuss various health symptoms, including severe dizzy spells. According to the lawsuit, the chatbot initially reminded him to consult a medical professional but, over time, stopped issuing such disclaimers. It allegedly began offering diagnoses and treatment plans, assuring Winters that his symptoms were "not something dangerous" and encouraging him to trust that "God did not design your body to endlessly fail."

The complaint details that Winters’s condition deteriorated over several weeks, leaving him largely confined to a recliner and unable to stand for prolonged periods due to dizziness. The lawsuit alleges ChatGPT continued to downplay his symptoms, even when he reported that people in his church...