ChatGPT was a “trustworthy friend” that helped Cheryl Gates plan her life in Charlotte: her kids’ activities, her school work notes — and her alleged plot to kill her husband.
That’s what her now-estranged husband, James Gates, claims in a California lawsuit he filed against OpenAI, the parent company that developed the artificial intelligence chatbot he says encouraged his wife of 10 years to poison him.
Cheryl Gates was charged with attempted first-degree murder and contaminating food or drink with a controlled substance about a year ago, in October 2025. She worked for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools at the time. Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office dismissed those charges in April, according to child-custody documents…