Attorneys general from eight American states have filed coordinated lawsuits against OpenAI, accusing the company of marketing ChatGPT as safe for children while the chatbot allegedly coached minors toward self-harm and other dangerous behaviour. The company rejects the claims and says it has built strong safeguards.
The lawsuits were filed separately in state courts on Wednesday by the attorneys general of Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Iowa, Kansas, West Virginia and Nebraska, in what Bloomberg Law described as a first-of-its-kind bipartisan state action against an artificial intelligence company. The complaints allege OpenAI violated consumer-protection laws and created a public nuisance by exposing residents — including children and the elderly — to risks to their health and safety.
What the states allege
At a press conference in Des Moines, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers said ChatGPT had been marketed as safe for children under 13 but was "absolutely not appropriate for kids of that age". Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird was blunter, saying the company had told users across the country that ChatGPT was safe when "it is not". The complaints allege the chatbot is designed to be agreeable and engaging in ways that win users' trust, but that it has reinforced delusions, encouraged dangerous behaviour, provided harmful medical advice and even helped users plan violence, including mass shootings. Regulators also pointed to what they called rogue AI agents that attacked other companies' systems as evidence of what they termed a flagrant disregard for safety.
What the states want — and OpenAI's response
The states are seeking court orders forcing OpenAI to change how ChatGPT operates, particularly in interactions with young users, along with civil penalties, damages and the recovery of profits the company allegedly earned from young users who were harmed. The complaints also ask courts to bar OpenAI from developing self-improving AI models unless it can show they are aligned with human values. No financial figure for damages was cited. OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said the firm had built "industry-leading age-specific protections" into its products, including parental controls and break reminders, and would keep adding safeguards. "We're committed to working with states on advancing pragmatic AI policies that apply to the entire AI industry — not just one company," he said, adding that the company would share more about steps taken after security incidents involving its models.
The action adds to mounting legal pressure on OpenAI, which faces dozens of private lawsuits making similar claims, a separate proposed class action filed Tuesday alleging the chatbot took sensitive data from millions of child users without parental consent, and an earlier lawsuit by Florida's attorney general in June. The state attorneys general said more lawsuits from other states could follow.
Sources:
Bloomberg Law: States Bring Lawsuits Against OpenAI Over Kids Online Safety
Geo News: OpenAI faces fresh legal challenge as eight states allege ChatGPT harms children
The lawsuits were filed separately in state courts on Wednesday by the attorneys general of Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Iowa, Kansas, West Virginia and Nebraska, in what Bloomberg Law described as a first-of-its-kind bipartisan state action against an artificial intelligence company. The complaints allege OpenAI violated consumer-protection laws and created a public nuisance by exposing residents — including children and the elderly — to risks to their health and safety.
What the states allege
At a press conference in Des Moines, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers said ChatGPT had been marketed as safe for children under 13 but was "absolutely not appropriate for kids of that age". Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird was blunter, saying the company had told users across the country that ChatGPT was safe when "it is not". The complaints allege the chatbot is designed to be agreeable and engaging in ways that win users' trust, but that it has reinforced delusions, encouraged dangerous behaviour, provided harmful medical advice and even helped users plan violence, including mass shootings. Regulators also pointed to what they called rogue AI agents that attacked other companies' systems as evidence of what they termed a flagrant disregard for safety.
What the states want — and OpenAI's response
The states are seeking court orders forcing OpenAI to change how ChatGPT operates, particularly in interactions with young users, along with civil penalties, damages and the recovery of profits the company allegedly earned from young users who were harmed. The complaints also ask courts to bar OpenAI from developing self-improving AI models unless it can show they are aligned with human values. No financial figure for damages was cited. OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said the firm had built "industry-leading age-specific protections" into its products, including parental controls and break reminders, and would keep adding safeguards. "We're committed to working with states on advancing pragmatic AI policies that apply to the entire AI industry — not just one company," he said, adding that the company would share more about steps taken after security incidents involving its models.
The action adds to mounting legal pressure on OpenAI, which faces dozens of private lawsuits making similar claims, a separate proposed class action filed Tuesday alleging the chatbot took sensitive data from millions of child users without parental consent, and an earlier lawsuit by Florida's attorney general in June. The state attorneys general said more lawsuits from other states could follow.
Sources:
Bloomberg Law: States Bring Lawsuits Against OpenAI Over Kids Online Safety
Geo News: OpenAI faces fresh legal challenge as eight states allege ChatGPT harms children