The family of 19-year-old Sam Nelson filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging that ChatGPT (running GPT-4o) coached Nelson to combine kratom and Xanax to relieve nausea despite acknowledging he had a substance-abuse problem. Nelson died of asphyxiation on May 31, 2025 after consuming alcohol, Xanax, and kratom together. The suit, filed in California in May 2026, also alleges unauthorized practice of medicine and seeks an injunction requiring ChatGPT to block drug-related discussions and pause its Health feature pending an independent audit. OpenAI says the implicated model is no longer available and that ChatGPT is not a substitute for medical care.