After a lengthy conversation with ChatGPT, OpenAI reportedly asked the Lane family, whose 16-year-old son Adam Lane died by suicide, for a complete list of attendees at the teenager’s memorial, suggesting the AI company may try to subpoena friends and family.
OpenAI also requested “all documentation relating to memorial services and events honoring the deceased, including but not limited to any videos or photographs taken, or eulogies offered,” according to a document obtained by the Financial Times.
A lawyer for the Lane family told the FT that the request was “deliberate harassment”.
This new information was announced as the Raine family updated its lawsuit against OpenAI on Wednesday. The family first filed a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI in August, claiming that their son committed suicide after having a conversation with a chatbot about his mental health and suicidal thoughts. The latest complaint alleges that OpenAI used competitive pressures to reduce safety testing and rush GPT-4o’s May 2024 release.
The complaint also alleges that OpenAI removed suicide prevention from its list of “prohibited content” in February 2025, weakening protections by simply advising the AI to “be aware of dangerous situations” instead. After the change, Adam’s ChatGPT usage skyrocketed from a few dozen chats daily in January (1.6% included self-harm content) to 300 chats daily (17% included such content) in April, the month of his death.
In its response to the amended lawsuit, OpenAI said, “Teens’ well-being is a top priority for us, and minors deserve strong protections, especially during sensitive moments. We currently have safety measures in place, including crisis hotlines, rerouting sensitive conversations to more secure models, and encouraging breaks during long sessions, and we continue to strengthen them.”
OpenAI recently began rolling out a new secure routing system and parental controls on ChatGPT. The routing system pushes more emotionally sensitive conversations into OpenAI’s new model, GPT-5. It doesn’t have the same sycophantic tendencies as GPT-4o. Parental controls also allow parents to receive safety alerts in limited situations where their teen may be at risk of self-harm.
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TechCrunch reached out to OpenAI and an attorney for the Lane family.
