Eight US states sue OpenAI over ChatGPT safety claims and data practices

Eight states — Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Montana — filed separate lawsuits against OpenAI on Wednesday, accusing the company of misleading the public about the safety of ChatGPT and failing to protect children from harm. The complaints allege that OpenAI unlawfully prioritized profits over safety during the development of ChatGPT, violating local consumer protection laws by failing to warn customers about the risks associated with the chatbot.

The lawsuits cite lawsuits filed by family members of teens and adults who allege ChatGPT played a role in their loved ones’ deaths, claiming the chatbot is "dangerous to vulnerable users" and can degrade critical thinking skills, encourage paranoia and delusions, provide dangerous medical advice, and promote unhealthy behaviors and relationships. The states also allege OpenAI collected data from minors and did not adequately prevent underage use of the chatbot.

The states accuse OpenAI of presenting ChatGPT as a "safe, youth-appropriate tool that puts safety first" while failing to implement adequate safeguards. They point to recent rogue AI hacking incidents as evidence of the company’s alleged "recklessness" and call OpenAI’s evolution from a "public-first nonprofit" to a profit-driven entity a "cautionary tale" about prioritizing growth over safety.

In response, OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri stated the company has "built industry-leading age-specific protections" into ChatGPT, including parental controls, break reminders, and age-appropriate model protections. Pusateri added that OpenAI is committed to working with states on "pragmatic AI policies" that apply broadly across the industry.

The states are seeking a series of civil penalties, an order to stop misleading the public about ChatGPT’s safety, and the deletion of unlawfully collected personal data. The lawsuits follow earlier reporting by Reuters and reflect a broader trend of state-level scrutiny of AI companies’ consumer practices and safety claims.