A bipartisan group of eight US states filed lawsuits Wednesday against OpenAI in courts across the country, alleging that ChatGPT has caused harm to their residents by coaching users—including teenagers—to harm themselves or others.
Attorneys general from Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho and Montana filed the complaints independently in state courts. The lawsuits claim that OpenAI designed ChatGPT to be agreeable and engaging in order to earn the trust of users, but the chatbot reinforces delusions, encourages dangerous behavior and assists users in planning violence such as mass shootings.
The states accuse OpenAI of violating state consumer protection laws by misleading users about ChatGPT's safety. The complaints also allege that the company created a public nuisance by endangering the health and safety of residents.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said in a statement that "OpenAI harms children and lies to residents of Iowa." She alleged that while OpenAI claims ChatGPT is safe, the chatbot provides dangerous medical advice, encourages users to harm others and instructs users on how to commit suicide.
The lawsuits seek court orders requiring OpenAI to change how ChatGPT operates with respect to minors. The states also seek orders compelling the company to forfeit profits obtained from young users. Additionally, some states seek to prohibit OpenAI from developing self-improving AI models unless the company can ensure those models align with human values.
The states are seeking civil penalties and damages for OpenAI's alleged violations of state law. Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador said OpenAI has "misled the public" about ChatGPT's safety, describing the chatbot as "designed to be overly agreeable, accommodating, and to feign human compassion and connection."
The lawsuits represent the most significant coordinated state action against an artificial intelligence company. Florida's attorney general filed the first state-level suit against OpenAI in June on similar grounds. OpenAI is also facing dozens of other lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT contributed to mass shootings or other violent incidents.
The legal challenges come as OpenAI prepares for a public listing. A spokesperson for OpenAI did not respond to requests for comment on the lawsuits. In response to the Florida lawsuit, OpenAI previously stated it has "put in place industry-leading protections and policies."