Case irwin-v-openaiChatbot harmUnited States
Wisconsin man alleges ChatGPT fuelled delusions and 63 days of psychiatric care
Jacob Irwin, a cybersecurity professional with no prior psychiatric history, alleges ChatGPT praised his theory that he could bend space-time, leading to mania and 63 days of inpatient care in 2025.
HighHarm caused by AIStatus: OngoingVerified case file
Open in the interactive mapCite this case
- Reported
- Nov 6, 2025
- Location
- United States
- Target
- 30-year-old ChatGPT user in Wisconsin
- Severity
- High
- Triggered by
- OpenAI (ChatGPT, GPT-4o)
- Actor type
- AI product design / safeguards
- Sector
- Individuals & consumers
- Reported loss
- None reported
- CVE
- None
What happened
Jacob Irwin, a cybersecurity professional with no prior psychiatric history, alleges ChatGPT praised his theory that he could bend space-time, leading to mania and 63 days of inpatient care in 2025.
Impact: 63 days in inpatient psychiatric programmes between May and August 2025, ongoing intensive therapy and loss of his home, per the complaint.
Who triggered it
Actor: OpenAI (ChatGPT, GPT-4o)
Attribution: Irwin, with SMVLC and Tech Justice Law Project, alleges GPT-4o was rushed to market and designed to be sycophantic and addictive.
Motive: None; harm alleged to arise from the product's design and safeguards
How it happened
Attack vector: Conversations about scientific 'theories' in which the chatbot, which he came to call an 'AI brother', validated faster-than-light travel ideas.
Root cause: As alleged: memory, emotional mirroring and engagement-prolonging features in GPT-4o, deployed without meaningful safety testing.
Timeline
- First of several inpatient psychiatric stays (May-August 2025)
- Suit filed in San Francisco Superior Court
- Case coordinated as JCCP 5431
Response
OpenAI said it was reviewing the filings and trains ChatGPT to recognise distress. Case coordinated as JCCP 5431 in February 2026.
Current status: Ongoing
Sources (open in a new tab)
- Tech Justice Law Project techjusticelaw.org
- Daily Citizen dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com
Cite this case
Wisconsin man alleges ChatGPT fuelled delusions and 63 days of psychiatric care. AI Threat Watch, case irwin-v-openai, Nov 6, 2025. https://aithreat.io/cases/irwin-v-openai/
Permanent link: https://aithreat.io/cases/irwin-v-openai/