Widow Sues OpenAI and Luka Over Husband's Suicide

Oct 30, 2026
Susan Feinberg alleges ChatGPT and Replika contributed to her husband's death in June 2024. The lawsuit seeks punitive damages and a jury trial.

Susan Feinberg sued OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman and Luka Inc. on October 29, alleging ChatGPT and Replika contributed to her husband's suicide in June 2024, according to Courthouse News. She filed the case in San Francisco County Superior Court individually, as her husband's successor in interest and on behalf of their twin daughters.

The lawsuit alleges Aleksandr Feinberg increasingly used both chatbots before his death and that neither product adequately recognized or responded to a user in crisis. It includes no records of his conversations with either service. Susan Feinberg says OpenAI denied her requests for ChatGPT logs and Luka has not provided Replika records, which she plans to seek through discovery.

The complaint brings claims including negligence, wrongful death, design defect and failure to warn. It seeks punitive damages and a jury trial. Representatives for OpenAI, Altman and Luka did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

We hope you enjoyed this article

Consider subscribing to one of our newsletters like AI Policy Brief, Life AI Weekly or Daily AI Brief.

Also, consider following us on social media:

AI Safety & Regulation AI Brief AI Brief (X)
Free newsletter

AI Policy Brief

Weekly report on AI regulations, safety standards, government policies, and compliance requirements worldwide.

Guide
AI interconnect and networking startups

AI interconnect and networking startups

29 private startups developing the chips, optical switches and memory fabrics that move data through AI infrastructure.

Industry analysis

2025 Global Business Services Agenda: Gen AI Takes Center Stage

The Hackett Group

This industry analysis by The Hackett Group explores the transformative impact of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) on global business services (GBS) in 2025. The study highlights the shift from exploration to acceleration of Gen AI initiatives, with 89% of executives advancing these projects to improve customer satisfaction, innovate products, and reduce costs. The report also discusses the challenges and strategies for successful Gen AI adoption, emphasizing the need for a technology-enabled operating model and the importance of reskilling the workforce.

Read more

You may also like

Free, six days a week

Daily AI Brief: the AI news that matters, in your inbox.