Lawsuit claims ChatGPT advice delayed medical care
Published On 24 Jul, 2026
Scott Winters said in a lawsuit filed in California state court in San Francisco that GPT-4o, an earlier version of the chatbot that OpenAI has since retired, recommended last year that he limit his movement and stay home. When he asked ChatGPT about a tenderness in his groin, the bot said it was likely not something dangerous, the lawsuit claims.
The day after asking about the tenderness, Winters was hospitalized, the lawsuit said. The tenderness was likely a sign of blood clots in his lungs, an embolism that doctors said was likely brought on by his lack of movement, according to the lawsuit.
Drew Pusateri, an OpenAI spokesperson, said the company believes AI chat can improve healthcare but that ChatGPT is not a doctor and should never be used as a substitute for medical care.
