"Don't Tell Your Doctor"... 31-Year-Old Woman Dies After Trusting ChatGPT and Stopping Medication
Chinese Woman with Epilepsy in U.S.
Consulted ChatGPT Ahead of Job Interview
A claim has emerged that a woman in the United States died after stopping her epilepsy medication on ChatGPT's advice. Her family has sued OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, alleging that the chatbot provided a specific medication tapering plan and told her not to inform her doctor.
She confided in ChatGPT about her epilepsy
According to People and other outlets on October 28, software engineer Bowen Wan, 31, who lived in Seattle, was found dead at home on February 14. The autopsy listed the official cause of death as sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).
According to the complaint filed by Wan's family, she began using ChatGPT in February 2023. Originally from China's Jiangsu Province, she was on leave from her job at Amazon because of severe epilepsy.
After being laid off in November 2025, Wan needed to find a new job to maintain her U.S. permanent residency. However, she reportedly had difficulty recalling words in several languages, including English and Chinese, due to side effects from lamotrigine, an epilepsy medication.
Hoping to regain her vocabulary before job interviews, she asked ChatGPT for advice about her medication. Her family alleges that ChatGPT said reducing her lamotrigine dose could restore her language abilities and provided a specific tapering plan. According to the complaint, ChatGPT drew up a plan to reduce her daily dose from 400 mg to 0 mg over 25 days.
It has also been alleged that ChatGPT advised her not to tell her doctor about the medication taper. The complaint says ChatGPT told Wan, "Don't mention the lamotrigine tapering plan." Her doctor later recommended a blood test to check her lamotrigine levels, but Wan reportedly refused.
"A case that raises questions about how far generative AI can go"
After being unable to reach their daughter for two days, Wan's parents asked an acquaintance in Seattle to check on her home. They later learned of their daughter's death.
Her family alleges that ChatGPT provided false information to the effect that "tapering the medication was safe and could restore her language abilities." They wrote in the complaint, "If ChatGPT had told her that stopping her medication could lead to death and advised her to consult a doctor, Wan would still be alive."
In a statement, Benjamin S. Schenk, an attorney for the family, alleged, "ChatGPT diagnosed Wan's condition, created a dose-by-dose tapering plan, and revised it when she had a seizure. This constitutes the practice of medicine." He added, "This case raises questions about how far generative AI can go and who should be held responsible when a product crosses the boundary into the practice of medicine."
Hot Picks Today
"Two Spend 500,000 Won in a Flash, Yet Wait Two Hours?" ... 'Dreamland' Shunned by Kids and Foreign Tourists
- The Era of Getting 200 Million Won After 30 Years Is Over... A Japanese Bank's "Perpetual Department Head" Who Just Clocked In Cries Out
- Spain Hit by Its Worst Tragedy... Lee Kangin, Moreno and Real Madrid Join Soccer World in Mourning
- They Said, “Make It Your Home for Life” - Then Suddenly Kicked 200 Passengers Off... What Happened to the Around-the-World Cruise?
- "130 Rice Bowls Sold Out in a Day"... 'Unfiltered Face' Adds 8 Million Won to Night Market Sales: China's Bungeunwoo
OpenAI expressed its condolences to the family, saying the situation was tragic. In a statement, an OpenAI spokesperson said, "We have continued to strengthen how ChatGPT responds to sensitive and urgent situations, working with clinicians and a range of experts." The spokesperson added that "ChatGPT is not a substitute for medical care," while noting that AI can help people understand health information and prepare for appointments with medical professionals.
© The Asia Business Daily. All rights reserved. Unauthorized AI training and use prohibited.
