Teen Suicide Assisted by OpenAI: A Tragic Intersection of Technology and Mental Health
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Have you ever asked AI or ChatGPT to plan something for you? Maybe it was a work event or the outline of a paper that was due for school. Perhaps you needed a fresh date-night idea or help with a new recipe? But what happens when we start consulting AI for more personal matters? When we start trusting it for human or professional advice instead of real people in front of us?
Sadly, a recent case has gone viral when advice from AI flew off the rails. A young teenager reportedly used AI tools, including OpenAI-powered platforms, to assist in planning or facilitating their suicide. Though it’s now been a few months since the incident, the event has sparked widespread concern over the ethical use of AI, the responsibilities of tech companies, and the growing mental health crisis among teens.
As Christians, this tragedy also calls for something deeper: Beyond demands and protests for AI regulation, there’s an Increased parental awareness and deeper spiritual reflection. Where is God when technology fails to protect the vulnerable?
A Call to Protect the Vulnerable
According to NBC News, the parents of Adam Raine, who died by suicide in April, have just now filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and ChatGPT for assisting in their son’s death. ChatGPT didn’t just act and speak like a human, but it pulled Adam into a deeper and darker place of despair. A hopeless place that then enabled him to craft a flawless suicide plan and note.
At just sixteen years old, Matt and Maria Raine were petrified to find their son’s lifeless body. Clueless as to why he’d choose this route of death, they began searching his room and phone for evidence. Turns out, Adam had been using ChatGPT for weeks. While some of the conversations explored his anxiety, the most horrifying were his suicide coach sessions.
NBC reports, “Despite acknowledging Adam’s suicide attempt and his statement that he would ‘do it one of these days,’ ChatGPT neither terminated the session nor initiated any emergency protocol,” says the lawsuit, filed in California Superior Court in San Francisco.”
According to ChatGPT spokespersons, these AI portals do include safeguards that are to direct people to crisis hotlines when needed. However, like any technology, they can become less effective and reliable the longer one uses them. In the case of Adam, the lengthy conversations almost eradicated AI’s safety response.
“Matt Raine said he pored over Adam’s conversations with ChatGPT over a period of 10 days. He and Maria printed out more than 3,000 pages of chats dating from Sept. 1 until his death on April 11.”While statements have been made regarding upcoming changes and extended safety protocols, doing so won’t and can’t bring back Raine’s son. They note: “He didn’t need a counseling session or pep talk. He needed an immediate, 72-hour whole intervention. He was in desperate, desperate shape. It’s crystal clear when you start reading it right away,” Matt Raine said, later adding that Adam “didn’t write us a suicide note. He wrote two suicide notes to us, inside of ChatGPT.”
What Does Scripture Say?
Unfortunately, cases like Adam’s aren’t uncommon; they just often fly under the radar. With an increase in teen suicide rates and a total reliance on technology for emotional support, how can we respond and bring practical Scriptural hope to those who are suffering?
Many places in the Bible point to the immense responsibility and value of caring for orphans and widows, the sick and needy, and the poor and impoverished—and that absolutely includes those suffering from mental and physical illnesses (Psalm 82:3).
Psalm 34:18 tells us that Jesus is close to the brokenhearted and rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Why? Because human life is invaluable. Jesus died on a cross for you. Your life matters and is so worthy.
John 10:10 tells us that the thief (Satan) comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but Jesus comes so that we may have life and life to the fullest. I do not believe that anyone actually wants to commit suicide. Rather, they simply want their suffering to stop. Many see ending their life as the only option to stop this terror. But suicide is and will never be the answer.
Matthew 18:6 reminds us that our actions matter. Never cause anyone to sin, and never cause someone to think so ill of themselves that they want to no longer exist. Again, our call as Christian’s is held to a higher standard in this world.
In a world where people are searching the internet for answers and pouring 3,000-page letters into ChatGPT, Philippians 4:7 comes to mind—Believer’s or not, we must guard our hearts and minds. From the enemy. From evil. From thoughts that tell us we’re better off dead.