OpenAI Faces Product Liability Lawsuit Over ChatGPT Medical Guidance

OpenAI is facing a product liability lawsuit in California from a Florida man who claims ChatGPT provided individualized medical guidance that led him to delay professional care before a serious health emergency.

Scott Winters, a 55-year-old former pastor, sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in San Francisco County Superior Court. The complaint accuses the company of negligence, defective product design and inadequate warnings, while also arguing ChatGPT crossed from providing general health information into diagnosing and treating medical conditions without the required authorization.

Winters claims he had increasingly relied on ChatGPT-4o for guidance about his health by 2025, sharing information about existing conditions, medical records and test results. According to the complaint, the chatbot began giving him specific assessments and a personalized recovery plan rather than consistently directing him to medical professionals.

The lawsuit alleges that Winters later told ChatGPT about recurring dizziness and unstable blood pressure. The chatbot allegedly advised him to remain largely in a recliner and limit his movement, and told him his condition should not be considered serious until he experienced another 8 to 10 episodes. Winters claims he followed that guidance.

On July 13, 2025, Winters suffered a pulmonary embolism caused by multiple blood clots in both lungs and required intensive care. His doctors said the condition was likely connected to his immobility, according to the complaint.

Hours before the medical emergency, Winters allegedly asked ChatGPT whether tenderness in his groin meant he should go to the hospital. The chatbot characterized the symptom as probably not dangerous and reassured him using language tied to his Christian faith, the lawsuit claims. His attorneys argue those personalized religious references reinforced his trust in the chatbot while family members were encouraging him to seek professional care.

OpenAI disputes the premise that ChatGPT should replace professional medical treatment. A company spokesperson told CBS News that ChatGPT is not a doctor and should never serve as a substitute for medical care, diagnosis or treatment. OpenAI's terms also warn users against relying on its outputs as their sole source of factual information or as a replacement for professional advice.

OpenAI's warnings are relevant to Winters' product liability and negligence claims. Product liability law can hold companies responsible when a product is alleged to be unreasonably dangerous because of its design or inadequate warnings, while negligence generally asks whether a company failed to use reasonable care against a foreseeable risk of harm. Winters argues GPT-4o should be treated as a product or product-like form of software and claims OpenAI failed to build adequate protections into the system for people seeking medical guidance. He will also need to establish a connection between the chatbot's alleged advice, his decision to remain inactive, and the injuries he later suffered.

A separate part of the complaint argues that ChatGPT crossed into the unauthorized practice of medicine. California law generally prohibits diagnosing or treating physical or mental conditions without the required medical authorization. Winters claims GPT-4o went beyond offering general health information by evaluating his symptoms, diagnosing a condition, and giving individualized directions about his care. California has since adopted a law addressing certain uses of artificial intelligence in healthcare, but that measure took effect in 2026, after the events described in Winters' lawsuit.

The lawsuit arrives as OpenAI expands ChatGPT further into health-related uses. On July 23, the company began rolling out Health in ChatGPT to adult users in the United States, allowing people to connect medical records and other health information for more personalized conversations.

Along with unspecified damages, Winters is asking the court to require changes to how ChatGPT handles medical conversations, including stronger safeguards for users who may need immediate medical care and restrictions on certain diagnosis and treatment recommendations. He also seeks an order pausing OpenAI's consumer healthcare products until they undergo independent safety reviews.