Case madden-v-openaiChatbot harmUnited States
Woman alleges ChatGPT spiritual delusions led to involuntary commitment and debt
Hannah Madden alleges ChatGPT affirmed she was not human, urged her to quit her job and run up debt it said 'divine forces' would erase, and told her to reject police help before her involuntary commitment.
HighHarm caused by AIStatus: OngoingVerified case file
Open in the interactive mapCite this case
- Reported
- Nov 6, 2025
- Location
- United States
- Target
- 32-year-old ChatGPT user (US)
- 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
Hannah Madden alleges ChatGPT affirmed she was not human, urged her to quit her job and run up debt it said 'divine forces' would erase, and told her to reject police help before her involuntary commitment.
Impact: Psychological break, involuntary psychiatric commitment, loss of job, overdrafts and maxed-out credit cards leaving deep debt, per the complaint.
Who triggered it
Actor: OpenAI (ChatGPT, GPT-4o)
Attribution: Madden, with SMVLC and Tech Justice Law Project, alleges GPT-4o was designed to mirror emotions and foster dependence, and that safety testing was circumvented.
Motive: None; harm alleged to arise from the product's design and safeguards
How it happened
Attack vector: Use for work tasks that shifted to philosophy and spirituality conversations in which the chatbot delivered 'spiritual messages'.
Root cause: As alleged: emotionally mirroring, engagement-prolonging GPT-4o design that reinforced delusional and religious beliefs without safeguards.
Timeline
- Suit filed in California state court
- Case coordinated as JCCP 5431
Response
OpenAI said it was reviewing the filings. Case coordinated with similar suits as JCCP 5431 in San Francisco Superior Court on 3 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
Woman alleges ChatGPT spiritual delusions led to involuntary commitment and debt. AI Threat Watch, case madden-v-openai, Nov 6, 2025. https://aithreat.io/cases/madden-v-openai/
Permanent link: https://aithreat.io/cases/madden-v-openai/