Man Sues OpenAI Over Poison Plot: lawsuit says ChatGPT aided alleged plan; adds to AI legal scrutiny

A North Carolina man has sued OpenAI, alleging that its artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT helped his estranged wife plan an attempt to poison him during their marital troubles, according to a Bloomberg report.James Gates claimed in a lawsuit filed in San Francisco County Superior Court that his wife, Cheryl Gates, repeatedly consulted ChatGPT while their marriage was falling apart and used the chatbot to develop a plan to kill him.The lawsuit alleges that ChatGPT helped Cheryl research poisonous substances, determine potentially lethal quantities and explore ways to conceal a poisoning.

It also names OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as a defendant.Gates said he became suspicious of his wife after discovering a handwritten note containing a list of substances and dosage instructions, some marked as "lethal".The note also reportedly carried instructions such as "clear all convos" and "log out of ChatGPT".According to the lawsuit, Gates had suffered a severe bout of illness months before finding the note in September 2025.