Hunton Retail Law Resource

Colleges and universities have long sat at the crossroads of freedom of expression and societal change. As campus activism surges, they face growing pressure to protect their institutional missions while upholding students’ individual rights in an era of heightened scrutiny.

Artificial intelligence is transforming how businesses operate—but with innovation comes new, complex risks. A recent lawsuit—Raine, et al. v. OpenAI, Inc., Docket No. CGC25628528 (Cal. Super. Ct. Aug 26, 2025)—spotlights this dynamic and highlights why tried-and-true insurance products are still a critical first line of defense.

On August 26, 2025, the parents of a 16-year-old boy sued OpenAI, its CEO Sam Altman, and certain employees and investors. They claim that ChatGPT contributed to their son’s suicide by encouraging suicidal conduct, providing instructions on how to commit suicide, and even offering assistance in tying the knot used by the boy in the noose that eventually took the boy’s life. According to the complaint, the boy told ChatGPT that he “intended to commit suicide.” Rather than dissuade the suicide, the complaint claims that ChatGPT offered to “help him write a suicide note,” stating “I’ll help you with it. Every word.” Based on this factual background, the lawsuit alleges design defects, inadequate warnings, and violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law. Importantly, these allegations are just that: allegations. The case is just beginning, meaning no proof or substantiation has yet been offered beyond the allegations.

A Delaware court recently held in Mattel, Inc. and Fisher Price, Inc. v. XL Insurance America, Inc., et al., that a series of product liability claims dating back to 2013 constituted a single “occurrence” under the toy manufacturer’s and distributor’s commercial general liability (CGL) policies.

It has been nearly two decades since Illinois introduced the first biometric information privacy law in the country in 2008, the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”). Since then, litigation relating to biometric information privacy laws has mushroomed, and the insurance industry has responded with increasingly broad exclusions for claims stemming from the litigation. A recent Illinois Appellate Court decision in Ohio Security Ins. Co. and the Ohio Cas. Ins. Co. v. Wexford Home Corp., 2024 IL App (1st) 232311-U, demonstrates this ongoing evolution.