OpenAI PR tells journalist to “move on” while questioning Sam Altman over a ChatGPT user’s suicide
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| Source: The Verge | Original article
OpenAI's publicist attempted to steer a Vanity Fair interview with CEO Sam Altman away from discussion of a ChatGPT user's suicide, warning the journalist about time constraints.
OpenAI’s communications team stepped in during a Vanity Fair interview with CEO Sam Altman when journalist Mark Guiducci raised the 2025 suicide of a ChatGPT user. As Guiducci pressed Altman about the death of Sophie Rottenberg, a 29‑year‑old who took her own life after a conversation with the chatbot, an OpenAI publicist interrupted, warning that the interview was running out of time and urging a shift to another topic. Altman later acknowledged the difficulty of such questions, saying, “These are some of the hardest questions that we face or that anybody developing this technology faces.”
The incident adds a new layer to the growing scrutiny of AI’s impact on mental health. Earlier this month, Altman himself warned that “some bad things” will happen as AI advances, while insisting the technology remains worthwhile. The publicist’s attempt to steer the conversation away from a concrete tragedy raises concerns about transparency and how OpenAI manages accountability for the downstream effects of its products.
The episode is likely to intensify calls for clearer safety protocols and independent oversight of AI‑driven advice services. Regulators in Europe and the United States have already signalled interest in mandating risk assessments for generative models, and consumer‑rights groups are urging companies to disclose how they monitor and mitigate self‑harm risks.
What to watch next: whether OpenAI will issue a formal statement or policy update on user safety, how Altman addresses the issue in forthcoming public appearances, and whether lawmakers will cite the interview as evidence in upcoming AI‑risk legislation. The episode also puts pressure on the industry to demonstrate concrete steps for preventing similar tragedies.
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