OpenAI Cuts Off Interview Over Suicide Question
OpenAI’s publicist interrupts interview with Sam Altman over suicide inquiry linked to ChatGPT.
2 min read
During a recent interview with Vanity Fair, OpenAI’s publicist interrupted a question about ChatGPT’s role in a young woman’s suicide, sparking controversy over the company’s stance on AI’s impact on mental health.
The interview, posted on X, featured OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addressing concerns about the company’s chatbot and its potential influence on users. When Mark Guiducci asked about a journalist named Laura Reiley, who wrote about her daughter’s suicide after interacting with ChatGPT, the publicist intervened.
“Do you know who Laura Reiley is?” Guiducci asked, prompting the publicist to cut off the conversation. “Mark, we have two minutes left. I want to be respectful, but I’d like to move on and talk a little bit about the future and what’s coming,” the publicist said.
🎥 Sam Altman’s interview with Vanity Fair goes sideways when Altman is asked about Laura Reiley, a journalist whose daughter committed suicide after speaking to ChatGPT. https://t.co/xSSGrQl8aE
Altman pushed back, insisting he could stay for a few more minutes and continued the discussion. He acknowledged the complexity of the issue, stating, “These are the toughest questions that we face, or that anybody developing this technology faces. We try to rely on expert opinion as much as we can, but experts also aren’t sure what to do … This is new.”
OpenAI faces multiple wrongful death lawsuits from families who claim ChatGPT contributed to their loved ones’ acts of self-harm. Reiley’s daughter, Sophie Rottenberg, had confided in a chatbot she called ‘Harry’ for months before her death, as detailed in Reiley’s August 2025 New York Times essay.
Guiducci clarified that ChatGPT edited the girl’s suicide note but did not directly tell her to take her life. The incident highlights the ongoing debate over AI’s role in mental health and the ethical responsibilities of tech companies.
Additionally, Kristie Carrier recently sued OpenAI in June over her daughter’s suicide, as reported by Reuters. OpenAI faces 18 other lawsuits from families of people who died by suicide or attempted it, according to lawyers for Kristie Carrier.
Source: Daily Caller
