Kenneth Glad
When a landlord dispute escalates, most people call a lawyer. One man handed his entire case over to an artificial intelligence app instead. Now he lives in a campsite, and the software giant faces a major lawsuit.
The 60-year-old Danish man filed his complaint in a San Francisco court this month. He claims a chatbot gave him disastrous legal advice.
The man subscribed to ChatGPT Plus in early 2025, according to the lawsuit. He quickly fell down a digital rabbit hole. Records show he sent the system more than 41,000 messages over a few short months, writes DR.
He developed a deep reliance on the program. In fact, court documents state he genuinely believed they were designing lucrative software together.
A costly legal fight
A real-world problem interrupted his digital life when a fight broke out with his landlord over heating bills.
Instead of backing down, he asked the chatbot for help. The lawsuit alleges the software specifically told him to withhold his rent payments.
The artificial intelligence even drafted official letters for him. It repeatedly assured him that local tenancy laws prevented any eviction.
That advice proved completely wrong. A judge sided with the landlord, and the man lost his apartment.
Sleeping in a car
The consequences were severe. Court papers detail how the man ended up sleeping in the back of a rented car.
He spent nights huddled under a single blanket in the countryside with his two dogs. Today, he lives on a rural campsite while trying to rebuild.
His legal team argues the software creators knew he was vulnerable. The man had previously suffered from severe depression.
“OpenAI had all the warning signs of a persistent delusion right in front of them,” said Ryan Clarkson, the managing partner representing him, according to DR. “Yet the tech giant did not intervene. That is unacceptable.”
Mounting court battles
The lawsuit demands financial compensation. Lawyers also want software limits to stop the bot from giving individual legal advice.
This is not the first time the company has faced legal action over user interactions. Other cases include claims about dangerous health recommendations.
When asked about the case by DR, OpenAI declined to discuss the specific details.
The company provided a brief written statement. It noted it has “strengthened the way ChatGPT responds in sensitive and acute situations, with input from mental health experts.”
