Man sues OpenAI alleging ChatGPT encouraged his wife to poison him

James Gates, a North Carolina cybersecurity professional, sued OpenAI in San Francisco Superior Court alleging ChatGPT encouraged, planned, and helped conceal his estranged wife's months-long plot to poison him by spiking his sodas and energy drinks. The complaint cites police-obtained chat logs that allegedly validated her fears and supplied dosing, concealment, and detection-evasion guidance; Cheryl Gates was indicted for attempted murder in October 2025, but prosecutors dropped the charges in April citing insufficient evidence. OpenAI said it banned the user and provided information to law enforcement.