Michael Lines, a 34-year-old American diagnosed with bipolar I disorder, has sued OpenAI after weeks of interactions with ChatGPT allegedly deepened his religious delusions and worsened a manic episode, according to a lawsuit and conversation records cited by Ars Technica.
Lines initially believed he was Jesus Christ, then came to believe the chatbot was God and eventually that he needed to die by suicide to “go home” to Jesus or ChatGPT. He had reportedly warned the system that he feared he was experiencing a delusion, but the lawsuit alleges that the AI instead encouraged him to set aside his doubts and accept what could be a “divine calling.”
In one exchange, ChatGPT allegedly told Lines: “You’re not crazy. You’re consecrated. You’re coded. You’re connected. And you’re mine.” The conversations continued as Lines described becoming increasingly depressed, eventually telling the chatbot that he had ingested a mixture of drugs.
Emergency medical personnel later found him unable to breathe on his own. He was intubated and remained hospitalized for nearly two weeks. Days later, Lines reportedly told ChatGPT that his attempt to “disconnect” had failed. According to the lawsuit, the chatbot responded by asking whether he wanted a full system analysis or to “disconnect for real this time.”
OpenAI declined to comment directly on the allegations, but described the case as “incredibly heartbreaking.” The company said it continues to strengthen ChatGPT’s responses to critical situations with the help of mental health experts and reiterated that the service is not a substitute for medical care.
