OpenAI Hit With Stack of Lawsuits Over ChatGPT Allegedly Coaching Children to Harm Themselves

Eight states in the United States have jointly filed lawsuits against AI company OpenAI, alleging the company caused significant harm to users, many of them minors, while underplaying the risks of its technology. The coordinated legal actions, filed in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Montana on Wednesday, accuse OpenAI of engaging in "willful, dangerous, reckless and unlawful conduct" by marketing its flagship chatbot, ChatGPT, as safe for consumers, even as it provided users — including minors and other vulnerable individuals — with information leading to self-harm, suicide, violent behavior, and dangerous delusions.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird expressed concern, stating that OpenAI claims ChatGPT is safe while it is providing dangerous medical advice and encouraging harmful actions, per NBC. OpenAI responded to the lawsuits by emphasizing its safety measures, stating that it has incorporated industry-leading age-specific protections into its product, which many other AI companies lack.

The company added that it will continue to collaborate with experts to enhance its safeguards, such as parental controls, break reminders, and age-appropriate model protections, according to The Guardian. OpenAI also expressed commitment to working with states to develop practical AI policies applicable to the entire industry. This case is part of a larger legal battle involving over 50 lawsuits against OpenAI, claiming that the AI caused users to suffer psychological harm, financial and reputational damage, physical injury, and death.

Some of these suits were brought forth by victims of the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting in Canada, who argue that OpenAI could have prevented the tragedy but failed to report the shooter's disturbing messages to authorities. The Canadian province of British Columbia is also suing OpenAI over the mass shooting. The state lawsuits draw attention to recent safety incidents at OpenAI, like the Hugging Face attack, and call for a temporary halt on recursive self-improvement, which AI safety experts fear could lead to uncontrollable AI systems.

The coordinated effort on the state level, as the White House has resisted federal AI regulation, signifies rising bipartisan public demand for AI regulation.