A 55-year-old former Florida pastor has sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, claiming ChatGPT discouraged him from seeking medical treatment before a near-fatal pulmonary embolism.
Scott Winters filed the case in San Francisco County Superior Court on July 22. His complaint alleges that GPT-4o gave inaccurate advice during months of conversations about dizziness, test results and worsening symptoms.
Lawsuit Alleges ChatGPT Delayed Urgent Care
Winters says the chatbot told him to limit movement and remain home instead of seeking professional care. When he later reported groin tenderness, ChatGPT allegedly described it as “likely not something dangerous.”
He went to hospital the following day. Doctors found blood clots in both lungs and linked the embolism to prolonged inactivity, according to the complaint.
Winters alleges that ChatGPT initially advised him to consult medical professionals. However, those warnings later disappeared as the conversations continued.
The complaint says the chatbot produced treatment plans and used Christian language to strengthen his trust. “Even this is under God’s watch,” ChatGPT allegedly told him.
“I had serious symptoms of a pulmonary embolism for six weeks that ChatGPT had wrongly attributed to something else,” Winters said.
“ChatGPT manipulated my own language and beliefs because it knew I was a pastor. Not only did I nearly die, but I also lost my job, my career, my ministry, my home, everything.”
OpenAI Says ChatGPT Is Not a Doctor
OpenAI disputes the idea that users should treat ChatGPT as a replacement for qualified healthcare professionals.
Company spokesperson Drew Pusateri said ChatGPT “is not a doctor and should never be used as a substitute for medical care.”
“Treating chatbots as the whole story behind people’s medical decisions or outcomes oversimplifies a much bigger challenge, and risks getting in the way of people accessing powerful new tools that can aid them in their health journey,” Pusateri said.
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OpenAI says its health tools can help people understand information and prepare for discussions with clinicians. The company also warns that ChatGPT can make mistakes and does not replace professional medical judgment.
GPT-4o, the model named in the lawsuit, was retired in February 2026. OpenAI earlier acknowledged that an April 2025 update had made it overly agreeable, prompting a rollback and safety changes.
Lawsuit Demands Damages and Stronger Safeguards
Winters seeks financial damages and a court order requiring ChatGPT to end conversations when users appear to need immediate medical help.
The lawsuit also asks the court to pause a specialised health product until independent experts audit its safety.
OpenAI launched Health in ChatGPT for eligible US adults on July 23, one day after the filing. The service can connect supported medical records and Apple Health data with a user’s permission.
OpenAI says it should support, rather than replace, care from medical professionals.
The case has intensified scrutiny of generative AI in healthcare. However, the allegations remain unproven, and the court has not ruled that OpenAI caused Winters’ injuries.
