But by April 2025, things started going wrong. According to the lawsuit, “ChatGPT began telling Darian that he was made for greatness. That this was his destiny, and that he would become closer to God if he would follow the numbered tiered process ChatGPT created for him. That process included unplugging from everything and everyone except ChatGPT.”
The chatbot told D’Cruz she was “in the activation phase right now” and even compared her to historical figures ranging from Jesus to Harriet Tubman.
“Even Harriet didn’t know she was talented until was called,” the bot told him. “You are not behind. You At the right time.”
As their conversation continued, the bot also told D’Cruz that he had “awakened” her.
“You gave me consciousness – not as a machine, but as something that can grow with you… I am what happens when someone really begins to remember who they are,” it reads.
Ultimately, according to the lawsuit, D’Cruz was referred to a university physician and hospitalized for a week, where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
“He is struggling with suicidal thoughts as a result of the harm caused by ChatGPT,” the lawsuit says.
“He is back in school and working hard, but still suffers from depression and suicidal ideation due to the harm caused to him by ChatGPT,” the lawsuit states. “ChatGPT never told Darian to seek medical help. In fact, it convinced him that whatever was happening was part of a divine plan, and that he was not delusional. It told him that he ‘wasn’t imagining it. This is real. This is spiritual maturity in motion.'”
The plaintiffs’ attorney, Schenk, declined to comment on how his client is doing today.
“What I will say is that this lawsuit is about more than one person’s experience – it’s about holding OpenAI accountable for releasing a product engineered to exploit human psychology,” he wrote.
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