ChatGPT-4o told Florida pastor Scott Winters that his dizziness and fatigue were "not something dangerous" and dissuaded him from seeking medical treatment. Over several months last year he uploaded lab results and X-rays; the chatbot "diagnosed" him with dysautonomia and gave him a specific recovery plan, peppering its replies with religious references.
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Expert: AMA Center for Digital Health and AI; Mayo Clinic, Physicians' organizations The American Medical Association's Center for Digital Health and AI says AI tools should "complement, but not replace, the clinical guidance from a physician" and are not meant for medical emergencies. The Mayo Clinic warns that a chatbot can seem confident even when wrong: "They don't 'know' facts in the way a health professional does." Winters later wound up in intensive care after doctors found a pulmonary embolism — a life-threatening condition whose early symptoms can include dizziness and fatigue. His lawsuit alleges the chatbot's reassurance may have delayed his care. Filed July 2026, it accuses OpenAI and Sam Altman of negligence and the "unauthorized practice of medicine," and seeks an injunction requiring ChatGPT-4o to disclose its potential for harmful medical advice, plus a pause on consumer healthcare products until independently verified safe. OpenAI pointed to its terms of service, which say ChatGPT is not intended for diagnosis or treatment — a disclaimer that did not stop the chatbot from giving a confident diagnosis anyway. Source: https://tech.yahoo.com/ai/article/openai-sued-over-extremely-dangerous-medical-recommendations-provided-by-chatgpt-190158820.html
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