On Wednesday, eight states filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming the artificial intelligence company’s ChatGPT chatbot is an unsafe product that harms children and deceives parents.
Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Montana have sued OpenAI individually in their state courts, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Byrd said in a release. He said the Iowa lawsuit aims to “vindicate the rights of Iowans affected by OpenAI’s willful, dangerous, reckless, and unlawful conduct.”
“OpenAI is hurting children and they are lying to Iowans,” Byrd said in a statement. “OpenAI claims it is safe while ChatGPT pretends to be a fake friend while giving dangerous medical advice, encouraging others to harm others, and instructing people to commit suicide. My lawsuit protects children and holds OpenAI accountable under state law.”
OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said the company builds age-specific protections into its products that are “lacking in many other AI products.” He added that OpenAI is working with states to advance policies that apply across the industry.
“While no system is perfect, we will continue to work with experts to inform our efforts and build on additional safeguards that currently exist, such as parental controls, break reminders, and age-appropriate model protection,” Pusateri said.
OpenAI has faced increased scrutiny over its safety and security practices, including its efforts to protect children. Many wrongful death lawsuits accuse ChatGPT of driving users into harmful delusions and, in some cases, suicide. Florida Attorney General James Usmeyer also sued OpenAI in June, alleging that the company intentionally released unsafe products that could harm users.
OpenAI took steps last year to strengthen safety features for parents and children, and in August launched a dedicated experience for minors called ChatGPT for Teens. This product includes a variety of educational features and age-appropriate safeguards designed to reduce exposure to developmentally inappropriate or harmful content.
“Teens should be able to learn, create, and explore using AI,” OpenAI said in a release at the time. “But that access must be accompanied by protections that reflect developmental stage, strengthen real-world relationships, and support healthy use over time.”
If you are having suicidal thoughts or are in distress, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988) for support and assistance from a trained counselor.
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