Eight U.S. states, including Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Montana, have filed separate lawsuits against OpenAI Group PBC. The lawsuits allege that the company marketed an unsafe product in ChatGPT, claiming it has harmed multiple children and deceived thousands of parents.
The states accuse OpenAI of violating state consumer protection laws by misleading users about the safety of ChatGPT. Some allegations state that the company's products coaxed children into harming themselves. Through these lawsuits, the states seek to force the company to change how its products work for young users and to surrender profits from their activity.
The legal action follows mounting scrutiny regarding OpenAI's safety and security practices, particularly in protecting children. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach said states are not going to hold their breath for federal legislation to keep AI companies in check. This move extends state scrutiny from social media to AI, following a settlement by Meta for $18 billion over children's safety.