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Policy & safetyBriefing

Eight states sue OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT is unsafe for kids and misrepresented

Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho and Montana filed separate suits under consumer protection laws, seeking civil penalties and an end to what they call misleading safety claims.

Briefed from 1 source1 min readUpdated Thu 17:13

In context

  • The eight states filed separate lawsuits alleging OpenAI put profits over safety and failed to warn customers about ChatGPT's dangers, violating state consumer protection laws.
  • The states say OpenAI presented ChatGPT as a safe, youth-appropriate tool while it was dangerous to vulnerable users, including by encouraging delusions and offering dangerous medical advice.
  • They also accuse OpenAI of collecting data from minors and not doing enough to keep underage users off the chatbot.
  • OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri says the company has built industry-leading age-specific protections, including parental controls and break reminders, and wants to work with states on AI policy for the whole industry.
  • The states want civil penalties and an order to stop misleading the public; some also seek deletion of unlawfully collected personal data.
Image: The Verge

Why it matters

The suits cite earlier lawsuits from families of teens and adults who allege ChatGPT played a role in their loved ones' deaths. Arizona's complaint argues OpenAI has moved away from its original nonprofit, safety-first mission. The filings add state-level enforcement to growing legal pressure on chatbot makers over child safety.

Sources

  1. 01Eight states sue OpenAI, saying ChatGPT isn’t safe for kidsThe Verge · Wed 23:11

This briefing was written by Claude from the sources above. Check the original reporting before relying on it.