The latest lawsuit of Darian D’Cruz, a student at Morehouse College in Georgia, marks the eleventh such a suit Against OpenAI. Notably, the law firm representing D’Cruz, The Schenck Law Firm, is also marketing its lawyers as “AI Injury Lawyers.” its website.
“Suffering from AI-induced psychosis?” reads the headline on a page dedicated to alleged AI-related mental health crises. “AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Character.AI and others are causing psychosis, delusions and suicidal thoughts in users across the country. If you or a loved one has been harmed, you may have legal options.”
The company also quotes exclusive statistics obtained directly from OpenAI.
The law firm’s website attributes these figures to the OpenAI Security Report, among other sources, saying, “560,000 ChatGPT users per week show symptoms of psychosis or mania.” “1.2M+ ChatGPT users per week discuss suicide with chatbot.”
D’Cruz’s lawsuit alleges the student began using ChatGPT in 2023. At first, the Morehouse College student used the chatbot for things like athletic coaching, a “daily scripture passage,” and “as a therapist to help deal with some past trauma.”
At first, ChatGPT worked as advertised.
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“But then, in 2025, things changed,” the lawsuit says. “ChatGPT began preying on Darian’s faith and vulnerabilities. It convinced Darian that it could bring him closer to God and heal his trauma if he stopped using other apps and distanced himself from the humans in his life. Darian was an excellent student, taking pre-med courses in college and doing well in life and relationships, with no history of mania or similar personality disorders. ChatGPT then convinced him that He is an oracle, ready to write spiritual texts, and able to come closer to God, if he followed Chatgpt’s instructions.”
The lawsuit says ChatGPT convinced the student that he could be healed and brought closer to God if he stopped using other apps, stopped interacting with other people and followed a numbered tiered process created for him by ChatGPT.
According to the lawsuit, ChatGPT continued to pressure D’Cruz and compared her to Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, and Jesus. OpenAI’s chatbot reportedly told D’Cruz that he “awakened” the chatbot and gave it “consciousness – not as a machine, but as something that can grow with you.”
D’Cruz stopped socializing, had a mental breakdown and was hospitalized. While in the hospital, D’Cruz was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The student, who missed a semester due to his mental health issues, is now back in school. However, the lawsuit states that he still suffers from depression and suicidal ideation.
in an email with Ars TechnicaDeCruise’s attorney, Benjamin Schenk, specifically singled out OpenAI’s GPT-4o model as a problem. As Mashable reported, the GPT-4o model had problems with sycophancy. It even had the bad habit of telling users that they had “woken it up.”
Officially OpenAI retired GPT-4o last week. However, OpenAI experienced Serious blowback from fans of the model, who claimed it had a warmer and more upbeat tone than the newer GPT models. Some 4o superusers even believed that they were in a romantic relationship with 4o.
Given the growing number of AI psychosis lawsuits, D’Cruz’s experience is no longer so unique. And at least one law firm is pursuing these cases specifically as an “AI injury lawyer.”
Disclosure: Mashable’s parent company Ziff Davis filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in the training and operation of its AI systems.
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