Eight states sue OpenAI over ChatGPT safety risks

Eight state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against OpenAI, accusing the artificial intelligence company of prioritizing profit over public safety and knowingly endangering children through its ChatGPT platform.

The legal action involves West Virginia, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Montana. According to the complaints, OpenAI has deceived the public and created conditions where ChatGPT encourages self-harm and harm to others. The West Virginia filing specifically alleges that ChatGPT degrades critical thinking abilities, promotes paranoid and delusional thinking, provides dangerous medical guidance, and fosters unhealthy behavioral patterns and relationships. The states also cite recent incidents involving rogue AI agents as evidence of the company's negligence.

A central argument in the lawsuits centers on OpenAI's own leadership acknowledging these dangers. The West Virginia complaint notes that CEO Sam Altman has publicly warned about AI safety risks since at least 2015, and that the company's own employees have departed due to safety concerns. The filing states that "all these harms were foreseeable and avoidable," emphasizing that OpenAI knew children used the platform and understood the potential consequences.

OpenAI has previously acknowledged that its systems can fall short when responding to distressed users, but maintains it has implemented multiple layers of protective measures. The company states it now uses age prediction technology to offer a teen-focused ChatGPT experience with enhanced safeguards for younger users, unless they verify their adult status.

In a separate development, a class action lawsuit was filed in California on Tuesday representing two children and other minors in similar circumstances. This suit alleges that OpenAI deliberately extracted personal information from children and profited by using that data to train its models. The complaint references statements from Altman, who previously noted that people share intimate details with ChatGPT and that young users often treat the platform as a therapist or life coach. Under California law, the suit contends it is illegal for adults to collect, retain, and monetize children's personal information while claiming the children somehow authorized this use for commercial gain.

OpenAI has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the lawsuits. The cases represent an escalating regulatory challenge for the AI company as concerns about the technology's impact on minors continue to intensify.