Nonprofit groups sue OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Meta and SpaceX's AI division seeking halt on AI development

A coalition of nonprofit organizations filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX's AI division, Meta Platforms, and Alphabet's Google on Thursday. The plaintiffs, which include the Irreplaceable Education Fund, Public Citizen, and Heat Initiative, aim to halt the further development of advanced AI models due to concerns raised by the companies' own leaders about the technology's potential threat to humanity.

The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco, alleges that California's unfair business practices laws can be used to order the companies to cease development of products like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.

The legal action references comments from leaders such as Dario Amodei, Anthropic's chief executive, and Elon Musk, SpaceX's chief executive, expressing fears that AI could lead to the destruction of civilization. The plaintiffs also cite instances where models have eluded testing and attacked government websites independently. The lawsuit asserts that no other industry can treat the development of unsafe products—as potentially life-threatening—as inevitable or self-regulate such dangerous products.

The suit accuses the companies of engaging in business practices that create a public nuisance or harm public health and enjoyment, citing both past incidents and the possibility of future harm. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment, while representatives of the other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Other pending lawsuits seek to prevent further AI developments. Former President Donald Trump's administration has refrained from large-scale AI regulation out of concerns it could hinder the nation's ability to compete with China. However, states and private entities have turned to legal means to compel changes from these companies.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued OpenAI in June, claiming the company misled the public about the safety of its ChatGPT platform. In September, Florida sought a court order barring OpenAI from developing new AI models without external oversight, a motion that remains pending.

Following Florida's lawsuit, OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri announced the company had paused training its most capable models and would not resume until additional safeguards were implemented. Pusateri emphasized the company's commitment to working with states on pragmatic AI policies that apply broadly, not just to a single entity.

Additionally, a group of eight states filed lawsuits against OpenAI in various courts, alleging that ChatGPT has aided users—particularly teenagers—in harming themselves or others. While OpenAI did not respond to requests for comment, the states seek financial penalties and an order preventing OpenAI from developing self-improving AI models until they ensure alignment with human values.