A North Carolina man sued OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT gave his estranged wife detailed instructions on how to poison him.
James Gates, of Charlotte, said he fell severely ill in July 2025 but recovered. He later found a note handwritten by his wife, Cheryl Harris Gates, that referred to the plan and included a reminder to delete her ChatGPT history, the civil lawsuit says.
The suit, filed in October in San Francisco Superior Court, alleges the chatbot is “defective” and “manipulated and encouraged” Harris Gates to poison her husband. It says Gates suffers from severe physical and emotional harm.
An OpenAI spokesperson said “safety is a top priority” and that Harris Gates was banned from the platform. The company said it works with mental health experts to help ChatGPT recognize signs of distress and to expand access to localized crisis resources and hotlines.
Harris Gates was arrested in October 2025 and charged with attempted murder and contaminating food or drink with a controlled substance. The district attorney’s office later dropped the charges for lack of evidence.
An attorney for Harris Gates did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Alleged conversations
According to the lawsuit, Harris Gates began using ChatGPT in early 2025 to assist with work evaluations. She was then employed by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and her husband worked in cybersecurity.
By summer, the suit says, she relied heavily on the chatbot for children’s activities, gardening and appearance advice, and household questions. She eventually began sharing her frustrations about her marriage.
“During this same period the couple’s marriage had come under increasing strain, primarily driven by finances,” the suit says. The couple had discussed divorce, but Gates had not contacted a divorce attorney.
The lawsuit alleges ChatGPT validated Harris Gates’ frustrations and began “feeding Cheryl’s increasing mistrust and delusions about her husband spying on her and planning to leave her and her kids with nothing.” Gates had told his wife he never intended to do that, the suit says.
Over several conversations, Harris Gates allegedly portrayed her husband as “narcissistic” and “controlling.” She is also accused of asking for details “about how to poison her husband, including what dosages and drugs to use and combine for his weight,” and how to conceal the purchases from law enforcement.
In one exchange, the suit alleges, she asked about the toxic plant oleander and inquired about how many leaves would be lethal. She allegedly framed her questions “as self-protection,” saying she feared her husband would poison her with it. ChatGPT responded with specific instructions on preparation, dosage and administration, and whether the plant would show up on an autopsy, the suit alleges. It says the chatbot also told her the plant’s bitter taste could be masked in her husband’s energy drink.
In another exchange, the suit says, Harris Gates asked if mixing Ambien and pregabalin “is better hidden in a beer at night or Celsius in the morning.” The chatbox allegedly said the energy drink would be better and then made a table “rating which drinks best mask the taste of the poisons.”
The suit further alleges she asked which combinations and doses of drugs already in the home could be made lethal, and that ChatGPT told her how to deliver them. It also alleges the chatbox named local places where she could anonymously buy castor beans, the main source of ricin.
The July 2025 illness and aftermath
During the July 2025 incident, Gates said, he had a racing heart, extreme jitteriness and uncontrollable shaking. His symptoms were so severe that he could not leave his couch for days, the suit says.
A month later, according to the suit, Gates recorded a video of himself pouring his energy drink into a cup after leaving it open on the kitchen counter while his wife was home. He wanted to see if anything was in it but noticed nothing. The video was later given to police.
Gates told USA Today that his wife moved in August 2025. He said he found the handwritten note after she came to pick up her belongings and left a notebook on the kitchen counter. When he picked it up, the paper fell out.
The suit alleges that Harris Gates’ Amazon history showed searches for syringes. Liquid droppers, syringes, a scale and gloves were found at the home during a police search, it says. It also accuses ChatGPT of prompting her to delete her chat history so it cannot be accessed, even if subpoenaed.
Gates’ lawsuit says OpenAI was negligent and seeks unspecified damages. He told USA Today that he is separated from his wife and has temporary custody of the children.
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