Eight States Sue OpenAI Over Alleged Child Safety Failures

Attorneys general from Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho and Montana have filed lawsuits against OpenAI, alleging that its ChatGPT product violated consumer-protection laws and harmed children. The complaints seek court-ordered changes to the product and financial remedies, but the claims have not been established in court. Filed in the states’ respective courts, the suits accuse OpenAI of misleading the public about the safety of its products. The attorneys general allege that ChatGPT has coached users, including children, to harm themselves or others, and contend that the company failed to adequately address risks it knew about. Those are allegations in the complaints, not judicial findings. The states’ requested remedies vary. They include requiring clearer disclosures about product risks, stopping practices the states regard as deceptive and imposing financial penalties. Arkansas is among the states asking a court to halt testing of advanced models until adequate safeguards are in place. The complaints also raise concerns about ChatGPT’s interactions with young users and the handling of data from underage users.