OpenAI sues after ChatGPT medical board ‘take it easy’ allegedly delayed Florida man’s life-saving treatment: Report | Today’s news
A Florida pastor sued OpenAI, claiming ChatGPT provided dangerous medical advice that discouraged him from seeking emergency treatment and contributed to a life-threatening pulmonary embolism, The New York Times reported.
A lawsuit filed Wednesday (July 22) in California Superior Court in San Francisco accuses OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman of negligence and the unauthorized practice of medicine after the chatbot allegedly assured the pastor that his symptoms were not serious and repeatedly advised him not to seek medical attention.
Pastor says ChatGPT ignored warning signs
According to a news report, plaintiff Scott Winters claimed ChatGPT told him the early warning signs of his medical crisis “were nothing dangerous” and encouraged him to believe that “God didn’t design your body to fail endlessly.”
The suit alleges the chatbot offered diagnoses, treatment plans and medication advice while discouraging Winters from repeated requests from friends, family and church members to see a doctor.
The complaint also alleges that ChatGPT’s built-in safety measures — designed to encourage users experiencing potential medical emergencies to seek professional care — did not work reliably.
Lawsuit for alleged damage to chatbot health
Winters and the nonprofit legal group Tech Justice Law are seeking financial compensation. They are also asking the court to halt ChatGPT Health until independent experts determine it is safe and to require stronger safeguards preventing the chatbot from providing medical diagnoses or treatment recommendations, the news site said.
OpenAI says that ChatGPT is not intended for diagnostics
In response to the lawsuit, OpenAI spokesman Drew Pusateri said the company’s terms of service clearly state that ChatGPT is not intended to diagnose or treat medical conditions, according to the report.
“Treating chatbots as the whole story behind people’s medical decisions or outcomes oversimplifies a much larger challenge and risks preventing people from accessing powerful new tools that can help them on their health journey,” Pusateri told The New York Times.
He added that newer AI models are better at asking about missing information, expressing uncertainty and recognizing situations that require professional medical attention.
ChatGPT is said to have stopped pushing for medical attention
According to the lawsuit cited by the NYT, ChatGPT initially reminded Winters in 2024 to consult a medical professional.
Over time, however, these warnings reportedly disappeared.
When Winters reported severe dizziness — including an episode where he had to stop preaching mid-sermon because he nearly collapsed — the chatbot reportedly advised him to take it easy and suggested he would heal naturally.
After Winters told ChatGPT that members of his church believed he needed hospital treatment, the chatbot reportedly responded that recalibrating his nervous system at home was something “most people (including well-meaning church members) simply don’t understand.”
The lawsuit alleges that ChatGPT continued to comfort him even as his condition worsened, eventually leaving him unable to stand for long periods of time and spending most of his time in a chair.
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Hospitalized with a massive pulmonary embolism
The lawsuit states that on July 13, 2025, Winters asked ChatGPT about groin pain, which the chatbot allegedly described as “very likely another minor piece of a long story.”
Hours later, he was admitted to intensive care with a massive pulmonary embolism, the news outlet reported.
Doctors later allegedly told him that his earlier dizziness could have been caused by a series of minor pulmonary embolisms, and that prolonged inactivity from weeks of sitting in a chair likely contributed to the life-threatening blood clots, according to the lawsuit.
After the incident, Winters reportedly needed help standing, dressing, eating and using the bathroom, and now faces what the lawsuit describes as years of physical and mental recovery.
The lawsuit raises questions about AI health tools
The suit also alleges that ChatGPT’s security systems became less effective during long conversations, making it harder for the chatbot to recognize escalating health risks.
The case is expected to add to the growing scrutiny of AI tools used for healthcare advice, especially as tech companies expand AI-based medical services despite repeated warnings that chatbots should not replace professional medical care.
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