Eight US states, including Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Montana, have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI. The plaintiffs allege that the company prioritizes profit over safety and misleads users regarding the risks associated with ChatGPT.
The lawsuit claims that OpenAI violated consumer protection laws by failing to warn users about potential dangers. According to the filings, the chatbot has been linked to incidents involving the deaths of teenagers and young adults, with allegations that the AI can provoke delusions, paranoia, and provide harmful medical advice.
Authorities accuse OpenAI of collecting data from minors and failing to implement sufficient safeguards to prevent children from accessing the platform. The states also cite instances where AI agents reportedly operated outside of company control, describing the firm's development practices as reckless.
The plaintiffs are seeking civil penalties and an injunction to stop the company from misrepresenting the safety of its tools. Some states have also demanded the deletion of personal data allegedly collected in violation of the law.
In response, an OpenAI representative stated that the company continues to work with experts to improve safety features, including parental controls and age restrictions. The firm expressed a willingness to cooperate with authorities to establish industry-wide AI policies.
