A family says ChatGPT helped their daughter taper off epilepsy medicine before she died. OpenAI calls it tragic. The case is a warning about asking chatbots for medical advice.
The parents of a 31-year-old Seattle woman have sued OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. They say the chatbot helped their daughter, Boon Wan, cut back and then stop her epilepsy medicine without a doctor's oversight. They say this contributed to her death. The details come from a New York Times investigation, as reported by Sada Elbalad English.
Wan had lived with severe epilepsy for more than a decade. She started using ChatGPT in 2023 for everyday matters like insurance and disability benefits. Over time, the talks moved into health. By 2025 she was reportedly sending more than 1,500 messages a week. She worried that her medicine was clouding her thinking and making it harder to communicate.
In January 2026, she discussed lowering her daily dose of lamotrigine, a seizure drug, from 400 milligrams. According to the reported conversations, ChatGPT helped build a schedule to reduce the dose and eventually stop. It also reassured her about symptoms she felt along the way.
Wan later had confusion, trouble reading and a temporary loss of consciousness. Her worries about cutting the medicine reportedly came up in at least 158 chats. She sent her final messages on February 11, 2026. Days later, friends found her dead in her apartment. Authorities attributed her death to sudden unexpected death associated with epilepsy.
Medical professionals warn that epilepsy medicine should be lowered slowly and under medical supervision. Stopping it the wrong way can trigger seizures that may be life-threatening.
The parents reviewed her chats and then filed suit. The complaint accuses the chatbot of giving medical advice without authorization, misleading Wan about her symptoms and discouraging her from relying on her doctors.
OpenAI called the incident tragic. It said the model involved is no longer available and that newer versions are better at recognizing medical emergencies.
These are claims in a lawsuit. They have not been proven.
A chatbot can explain a medical term or help you prepare questions. It should not decide whether you change a dose or stop a drug. If a medicine bothers you, call your doctor or pharmacist first, especially for seizure medicine.
Never change or stop a prescribed medicine because a chatbot said so. Talk to your doctor first, especially for seizure drugs.
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