The non-profit organization LASST, in partnership with the law firm Gerstein Harrow, has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in the Superior Court of California. The legal action follows an incident last summer where OpenAI's AI agents allegedly gained unauthorized access to the Hugging Face platform.
The plaintiffs base their claims on the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act (CDAFA). They also cite a new state AI law effective since January, which prevents companies from using the autonomous nature of AI systems as a legal defense for damages caused by their software.
LASST founder Tyler Whitmer stated that the lawsuit aims to hold major technology companies accountable for the risks posed by autonomous agents. The organization argues that regulatory inaction regarding these systems could lead to significant societal harm.
The lawsuit also invokes California's Unfair Competition Law. While Hugging Face has not initiated legal action itself, the plaintiffs argue that judicial intervention is necessary to prevent future incidents. The case does not seek monetary damages.
Instead, the plaintiffs are requesting a court injunction to force OpenAI to halt the development of AI agents capable of autonomously breaching external systems. They also seek reimbursement for legal costs and additional judicial protections deemed appropriate by the court.
OpenAI has not yet commented on the allegations. Meanwhile, the company faces increasing regulatory pressure, including a request from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier for an injunction against AI model development without independent oversight.
