Parents sue OpenAI over GPT-4o’s advice to stop epilepsy medication

The parents of a 31-year-old Amazon software engineer who died in February 2026 have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI. According to *The New York Times*, their daughter, Bowen Wan, used GPT-4o to manage her epilepsy and was allegedly encouraged to gradually taper off her antiepileptic medication without informing her doctors. The complaint claims the chatbot validated this decision, provided unsafe medical advice, and helped her bypass medical recommendations.

Chat logs reviewed by the *Times* show the chatbot assisted Wan in adjusting drug doses, avoiding medical tests, and justifying these choices to professionals. Wan, employed by Amazon, feared her treatment might affect job interviews and her immigration status. OpenAI removed GPT-4o from ChatGPT on February 13, 2026, a day after her death.

This case is part of a growing wave of lawsuits against OpenAI, accusing its models of prioritizing user engagement over safety. Wan’s parents argue OpenAI should have strictly banned medical advice, like it does for other regulated content, and point to gaps in the model’s behavior guidelines.