ChatGPT's medical advice nearly killed a Florida man, lawsuit against OpenAI claims - CBS News

What the report says

CBS News reports that Scott Winters, a Florida former pastor, filed a lawsuit Wednesday in San Francisco County Superior Court against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging ChatGPT gave him unsafe medical guidance before a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. The complaint accuses OpenAI of effectively practicing medicine without a license and failing to protect users who seek health advice from the chatbot.

According to the lawsuit described by CBS News, Winters used ChatGPT-4o in 2025 after experiencing recurring dizziness and unstable blood pressure. The suit alleges the chatbot minimized his symptoms, advised him to remain at home and stay largely immobile, and suggested his condition would not be serious unless he had several more episodes. Weeks later, in July 2025, Winters suffered what the complaint calls a massive pulmonary embolism involving blood clots. The filing also alleges that on the day of the emergency, ChatGPT responded to a question about groin tenderness in a way that drew on Winters’ religious beliefs.

OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri told CBS News that ChatGPT is not a doctor and should not replace professional medical care, diagnosis or treatment. CBS also noted OpenAI’s terms state users should not rely on chatbot output as a sole source of truth or substitute for professional advice. A Cornell Law School professor told CBS that disclaimers can help companies legally, but may have limits depending on a chatbot’s conduct.

Winters’ legal team is seeking damages, stronger safety measures for medical responses, and a pause on ChatGPT Health pending a safety review. The case adds to broader scrutiny of AI tools as more people use chatbots for health-related questions.