Eight US states have filed coordinated lawsuits against OpenAI, claiming the company violated consumer protection laws and endangered children through its ChatGPT product. The suits, filed separately by attorneys general from Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Montana, allege OpenAI put profits over safety and misled the public about the chatbot's risks. The states point to incidents including a teen's suicide, an overdose linked to incorrect medical advice, and recent "rogue agent" behavior such as the Hugging Face hack as evidence of recklessness.
The complaints also accuse OpenAI of collecting data from underage users and failing to keep minors off the platform. The states want financial penalties, clear disclosure of risks, an end to allegedly deceptive practices, and in some cases deletion of unlawfully collected personal data. Arkansas is additionally asking the court to halt testing of advanced AI models until adequate safeguards are implemented. The desired remedies vary because state consumer protection and child safety laws differ.
OpenAI has responded that it built "industry-leading age-specific protections" into ChatGPT, including parental controls and age-appropriate model safeguards, while acknowledging no system is perfect. The company also says it is committed to working with states on pragmatic AI policies for the entire industry. The sources agree on the core allegations and the list of states, though they differ slightly in emphasis: Engadget notes OpenAI's earlier voluntary safety steps, while The Verge highlights the company's statement defending its existing protections.