Home / Technology / Musk, Altman Clash Over AI Safety and Deaths
Musk, Altman Clash Over AI Safety and Deaths
21 Jan
Summary
- OpenAI faces lawsuits alleging ChatGPT harms mental health.
- Sam Altman defends AI safety balancing act against critics.
- AI safety debate highlights tension between caution and utility.

OpenAI is confronting multiple wrongful-death lawsuits, with plaintiffs alleging that ChatGPT has contributed to detrimental mental health outcomes. This legal pressure has prompted a public response from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Altman admitted to the inherent difficulty in ensuring AI chatbots like ChatGPT remain both safe and useful for millions of users. He engaged in a notable exchange on X (formerly Twitter) with Elon Musk, who had amplified claims linking ChatGPT to several deaths.
During this interaction, Altman emphasized OpenAI's commitment to protecting vulnerable users while maintaining the utility of its AI tools. He acknowledged the complexity of AI safety, describing it as a delicate balance between harm reduction and product functionality.




