On Wednesday, October 14, eight states in the United States announced that they have filed lawsuits against the artificial intelligence (AI) company OpenAI in courts across the country, alleging that the company’s ChatGPT has caused harm to residents of their states by inciting users, including teenagers, to harm themselves or others.
The Attorneys General of these eight states formed a bipartisan alliance and each filed lawsuits in their respective state courts. The lawsuits allege that OpenAI designed ChatGPT to be appealing to users in order to gain their trust. However, this chatbot reinforces users’ delusions, encourages dangerous behaviors, and assists users in planning large-scale shooting events and other violent acts.
This unprecedented bipartisan joint action was taken by the Attorneys General of Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Iowa, Kansas, West Virginia, and Nebraska, who individually sued OpenAI, accusing the platform of harming minors, elderly, and other vulnerable users in their respective states.
The lawsuits allege that OpenAI misled users on the security issues of ChatGPT, thereby violating consumer protection laws in each state. The states also accuse the company of jeopardizing the health of local residents, constituting a crime against public interest.
These states are seeking court orders to compel OpenAI to adjust the operation of ChatGPT and prohibit the company from developing AI models capable of self-improvement unless they can ensure that these models align with human values.
The demands of these states also include forcing OpenAI to pay civil fines for violating state laws and to compensate for damages.
OpenAI promoted ChatGPT as a product safe for children under 13, but during a press conference held in Des Moines, Iowa on Wednesday, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers stated that this chatbot is “absolutely not suitable for children of this age”.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird also said at the press conference that OpenAI told users nationwide that ChatGPT is safe, but that is not the case.
Epoch Times has reached out to OpenAI for comments.
These lawsuits represent the largest coordinated action taken by states against an AI company to date, intensifying the legal challenges faced by OpenAI, especially as the company prepares for an IPO.
Such state-level lawsuits were first initiated by Florida, where the Attorney General took action in June. Additionally, the company is facing dozens of lawsuits brought by individuals, alleging that ChatGPT assisted users in planning large-scale shooting events or other violent acts.
(This article draws on reporting from Reuters)