Eight US states sue OpenAI, saying ChatGPT is not safe for children

Eight US states – Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho and Montana – have separately filed lawsuits against OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind the popular ChatGPT chatbot. The states accuse the company of harming children and misleading consumers about the product's safety. Reuters was first to report on the suits.

What the states allege

The complaints say OpenAI unlawfully put profits ahead of safety while developing ChatGPT and violated state consumer protection laws by failing to warn users about its dangers. The states point to several other lawsuits brought by relatives of teenagers and adults, who claim the chatbot played a role in the deaths of their loved ones.

According to the states, the company misleadingly presented ChatGPT as a "safe, youth-appropriate tool that puts safety first," when it was in fact "dangerous to vulnerable users." The filings say it degrades critical thinking skills, encourages paranoia and delusions, offers dangerous medical advice, and promotes unhealthy behaviors and relationships.

The states also accuse OpenAI of collecting data from minors and not doing enough to keep underage users off the chatbot. As evidence of the company's alleged "recklessness," the complaints cite recent incidents in which AI systems carried out hacking actions without control.

Arizona's complaint says OpenAI has moved away from its original mission as a public-first nonprofit that prioritized safety.

OpenAI's response

OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri told The Verge that the company has built industry-leading, age-specific protections into ChatGPT. He acknowledged that no system is perfect, but said OpenAI will keep working with experts and add safeguards, such as the parental controls, break reminders and age-appropriate model protections that exist today. The company said it is committed to working with states on pragmatic AI policies that apply to the whole industry, not just one company.

What the states want

The states are asking courts to order OpenAI to pay a series of civil penalties and to stop misleading the public about ChatGPT's safety. Some are also seeking the deletion of unlawfully collected personal data.