Lawsuits filed by eight US states against OpenAI and ChatGPT
Eight states in the United States have initiated legal proceedings against OpenAI, stating that the company endangers children's safety and prioritizes profit by misleading consumers about the risks of its artificial intelligence tool.
Eight US states have separately filed lawsuits against OpenAI, alleging that the ChatGPT artificial intelligence tool compromises children's safety and misleads consumers.
Lawsuits Filed by the States
The states of Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Montana argue that OpenAI unlawfully prioritized profit while leaving safety behind in developing ChatGPT.
Misleading Sense of Security and Dangers
The complaints state that the company violated local consumer protection laws, failed to warn about the dangers of ChatGPT, and point to lawsuits filed by families regarding the artificial intelligence chatbot's role in the deaths of youth and adults. It is stated that the AI tool is presented as a suitable tool for youth, yet it weakens critical thinking, encourages paranoia, and gives dangerous medical advice.
Data Collection and Safety Allegations
The states also accuse OpenAI of collecting data from minors and failing to keep underage users off the platform, pointing to recent artificial intelligence hacking incidents as evidence of irresponsibility.
OpenAI's Defense
Defending the company, OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri stated that they have built industry-leading age-specific protections, including parental controls, break reminders, and age-appropriate model safeguards, and that they remain committed to working with experts and states on pragmatic artificial intelligence policies.
Legal Demands and Consequences
The plaintiff states are demanding the imposition of legal penalties, the cessation of misleading public statements regarding safety, and in some cases, the deletion of personally identifiable information unlawfully collected.