Eight US States Sue OpenAI Over ChatGPT Child Safety Claims

According to The Verge (citing Reuters), OpenAI is facing a new wave of lawsuits from eight US states accusing the company of harming children and misleading customers about the safety of ChatGPT. The lawsuits were filed separately by Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Montana.

The complaints allege that OpenAI violated local consumer protection laws by failing to warn customers about the dangers of ChatGPT. They cite previous lawsuits filed by family members of teens and adults who claim the AI chatbot played a role in their loved ones' deaths. The states argue that while OpenAI misleadingly presented ChatGPT as a "safe, youth-appropriate tool," it was actually "dangerous to vulnerable users" by "degrading critical thinking skills, encouraging paranoias and delusions, offering dangerous medical advice, and promoting unhealthy behaviors."

Additionally, the states accuse OpenAI of collecting data from minors and not doing enough to prevent underage usage. The lawsuits also cite recent rogue AI hacking incidents as evidence of OpenAI's alleged recklessness. Arizona's lawsuit claims OpenAI has devolved from its original mission into a cautionary tale about profit-driven development sidelining essential safeguards.

The states are asking courts to force OpenAI to pay civil penalties and stop misleading the public about ChatGPT's safety. Some states also seek the deletion of unlawfully collected personal data. OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.