Eight US states have filed separate lawsuits against OpenAI, accusing the company of endangering children and misleading the public about ChatGPT's safety. Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Montana brought the complaints, which allege OpenAI violated state consumer protection laws by prioritizing profits over child safety.
The lawsuits cite prior legal action from family members of teens and adults who claim ChatGPT contributed to their loved ones' deaths. According to the complaints, OpenAI marketed the chatbot as a "safe, youth-appropriate tool that puts safety first" while the product was actually "dangerous to vulnerable users." The states allege ChatGPT degrades critical thinking skills, encourages paranoia and delusions, delivers dangerous medical advice, and promotes unhealthy behaviors and relationships.
The complaints also charge that OpenAI collected data from minors without adequate safeguards and failed to prevent children from accessing the platform. The lawsuits reference recent AI security incidents as evidence of OpenAI's "recklessness" in developing the tool.
Arizona's complaint states OpenAI "has devolved from its original mission as a public-first nonprofit that prioritized safety into a cautionary tale about what can happen when the development of a tool as powerful as AI is driven not by safety, but by a profit-at-all-costs mindset that sidelines essential safeguards."
OpenAI responded through spokesperson Drew Pusateri, saying the company has "built industry-leading age-specific protections" into ChatGPT, including parental controls, break reminders, and age-appropriate model protections. Pusateri stated no system can be perfect and pledged to continue working with experts to add safeguards. The company also expressed openness to working with states on AI policy that applies across the industry rather than targeting a single company.
The states are seeking civil penalties against OpenAI, an end to misleading safety claims, and deletion of unlawfully collected personal data from minors.