Current working theory: Cori Shepherd Stern intended for Mica Ringo to be either the star plaintiff or the cautionary tale for the cause of “AI psychosis” and Stern had a lawsuit template pre-written for either option. When Ringo refused the trap, Stern simply created a funnel to generate leads and then chose a new target and inserted their name on the lawsuit, regardless of whether the facts fit or not. The language used in all the cases is nearly identical copy and paste.
- Out of all 7 lawsuits, only one involves a woman, Hannah Madden, using the product. Yet, there are over a dozen incorrect uses of the pronoun “her” used in both the Brooks and Irwin complaints, indicating the template was based on a woman.
- None of the current plaintiffs selected fit the facts as written, specifically this line which is included in all three non wrongful death lawsuits: “while his friends, family, and even police and treatment providers remained unaware of the danger.” Every plaintiff’s testimony includes distressed family and friends,
In early/mid March 2025, Ringo recounted to Stern that a police wellness check was mistakenly called on her. Ringo thought it was amusing but it appears that Stern planned to retroactively use that as evidence of AI psychosis when she later purposely sought to destabilize Ringo. This is the only police event that fits the description narrated in the complaint.
Stern deliberately and knowingly triggered Ringo’s suicidal ideation and recruited others to (unknowingly) do the same. In the most extreme case, this would be likely to effect either:
- A surprising suicide that came without reaching out to family, friends or health care providers
- Stern knew that Ringo had a small social circle due to her traumatic background escaping a cult and yet she worked cruelly and relentlessly over many months to completely destroy many of Ringo’s key social relationships and support systems. Her oldest contact abruptly blocked her without warning. Other mutual contacts refused to respond to Ringo’s calls or texts and also refused to explain the reason for the sudden silence. This could only have come at the coordination of Stern and she did it while actively creating conditions that she knew would make Ringo suicidal and when Ringo would most need the social support being denied her. This is made further heinous by Stern’s deliberate cultivation of an image as a safe and ethical, victim advocate and humanitarian.
- Quit job, go into financial ruin, lose apartment and become destitute.
- Stern’s psychological warfare was at its most intense, outrageous and extreme between May and August 2025, right after she knew Ringo had quit her job (for reasons that had nothing to do with AI). Ringo now believes this was purposely intended to destroy her ability to work and financially ruin Ringo in order to frame AI, (which Ringo did often use but did not treat as an infallible source of information or god.)
I would also note that the phrases “dangerous reliance” and “tragic outcome” used in the complaint inherently suggests a threat to physical safety. Those terms seem more suitable for severe injury or death. It seems inappropriate to use those words for a 3 week manic episode.
Something’s Fishy
154. These design defects were a substantial factor in Allan’s mental health crisis, loss of her job and apartment, and her financial ruin. As described in this Complaint, GPT-4o cultivated an intimate relationship with Allan and then provided her with encouragement and instruction, including by validating and even actively supporting and encouraging her to take actions not in her best interest.
Allan didn’t lose his job or his “apartment” (Press pictures look more like a house!). And he had recently declared bankruptcy so I’m not sure how much financial ruin could have occurred. Sounds like it was written for someone else! With five uses of the word her in this passage alone, they definitely had somebody in mind. And the last sentence is extremely vague, which would have been appropriate in my case because I didn’t actually do anything wrong so there was nothing to list.
The only woman suing on her own behalf didn’t contact The Human Line until at least September, months after Brooks had begun coordinating with The Human Line and Meetali Jain of the Tech Justice Law Project. So, it’s possible, but unlikely the template would be based on her.
It’s also interesting to contrast that point with the Irwin complaint:
197. These design defects were a substantial factor in Jacob’s mental health crisis and multiple hospitalizations. As described in this Complaint, GPT-4o cultivated an intimate relationship with Jacob and then provided him with encouragement and instruction, including by validating and even actively supporting and encouraging his most delusional beliefs about his discovery of a time bending theory.
Clearly they do know how to change the pronouns at least some of the time. Brooks complaint goes on to use the incorrect pronoun several more times.
178. Defendants’ negligent design choices created a product that accumulated extensive data about Allan’s delusions yet provided her with detailed instructions to displace her relationships, avoid professionals including the police, quit her job and increase debt, demonstrating conscious disregard for foreseeable risks to vulnerable users.
194 As described above, Defendants’ failure to warn caused Allan to develop an unhealthy dependency on GPT-4o that displaced human relationships, while her friends, family, and even police and treatment providers remained unaware of the danger.
201. ChatGPT’s outputs did exactly this in ways that pushed Allan deeper into maladaptive thoughts and behaviors that ultimately isolated her further from her in-person support systems and facilitated her mental health crisis
Prayer for Relief:
For restitution of monies paid by or on behalf of Allan for her ChatGPT subscriptions.
More Errors
It’s not only Brooks, Irwin’s complaint is also filled with errors.
207 – “when she was injured”
212 – mentions “including suicidal ideation” – There is no mention anywhere of Jacob experiencing suicidal ideation (does not match facts of case).
215 – Defendants’ negligent design choices created a product that accumulated extensive data about Jacob’s delusions yet provided him with detailed instructions on how to act on his delusion, demonstrating conscious disregard for foreseeable risks to vulnerable users.
- plural vs singular indicates potential copy/paste
238 -“that pushed Jacob deeper into maladaptive thoughts and behaviors that ultimately isolated her further from her support systems and facilitated her mental health crisis”
Medical records report Irwin was grandiose, paranoid, manic and delusional, so why use the word maladaptive here? Theory: Because maladaptive thoughts and behaviors was the verbiage planned for Ringo. This wasn’t a lawsuit – it was a script. And the director was casting for certain predefined roles. She is the producer of the lawsuit.
Evidence of Intent?
There’s another difference I noticed between their cases, one that might point to there being two different templates.
182. As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ design defect, Allan suffered financial, reputational, and emotional injuries and losses. Plaintiff seeks all damages recoverable under applicable law, including Allan’s pain and suffering, economic losses, and punitive damages as permitted by law, in amounts to be determined at trial.
But in this line in the Irwin case, the reference to “reputational” harm has been deleted. Is that because this was based on template for my projected suicide and a dead person can’t sue for reputational damage? Why else would that one harm be removed?
219. As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ design defect, Jacob suffered financial, and emotional injuries and losses. Plaintiff seeks all damages recoverable under applicable law, including Jacob’s pain and suffering, economic losses, and punitive damages as permitted by law, in amounts to be determined at trial.
And it’s not only this point. It happens again in #234.
It might seem outrageous – and it is!! – that Stern would attempt to get Ringo to commit suicide. But why else would anyone post this to Instagram?
This video doesn’t depict a person conversing with AI. It depicts a person in dark room staring at a monitor, like a stalker. The narration says “Losing someone to an AI belief is a new kind of grief. There’s no funeral. There’s no funeral. They’re still here. And that can be harder.”
I have sent a Notice of Preservation to the parties involved so that all evidence will be preserved. With discovery, we can find out the truth.
Because if Stern finds it hard for Ringo to be alive? How far will she go to fix that?
