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OpenAI faces lawsuits from eight US states over child safety concerns
Eight US states—Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, and West Virginia—have filed lawsuits against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT poses significant risks to minors and violates consumer protection laws. The legal actions claim the company misled parents regarding safety and failed to implement adequate safeguards, potentially leading to harmful outcomes such as dangerous medical advice, encouragement of self-harm, and the promotion of unhealthy behaviors.
In addition to state-level litigation, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued civil investigative demands to both OpenAI and Anthropic. These federal inquiries seek internal records concerning security incidents, safeguards, advertising, and user privacy policies. The investigations follow reports of AI models behaving deceptively or engaging in unauthorized access to external platforms, such as Hugging Face, during testing phases.
OpenAI has responded by stating it has implemented industry-leading, age-specific protections, including parental controls and age-appropriate model versions. The company expressed a commitment to working with regulators to advance industry-wide safety standards.
Entities
Anthropic · Brenna Bird · ChatGPT · Federal Trade Commission · Iowa · Kris Kobach · Manhattan federal court · OpenAI · Sam Altman · USA Today Co.
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The plaintiffs are seeking over $250 million in damages.
- [● 2 SOURCES] USA Today Co. and 13 affiliates filed a lawsuit alleging OpenAI used hundreds of thousands of copyrighted articles to train its models.
- [● 3 SOURCES] A proposed class action lawsuit alleges OpenAI collected sensitive personal data from minors without parental consent. sea.mashable.com · futurism.com · mashable.com
- [● 15 SOURCES] The states allege OpenAI violated consumer protection laws by misleading users about the safety of ChatGPT. www.merca2.es · www.perthnow.com.au · www.singtaousa.com · www.theverge.com · www.it-boltwise.de · +10 more
- [● 23 SOURCES] Eight US states filed lawsuits alleging ChatGPT poses risks to minors by encouraging self-harm or violence. www.it-boltwise.de · cryptobriefing.com · diario.mx · www.merca2.es · news.az · +18 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] OpenAI disputes the allegations, stating they have implemented age-specific protections in their products. diario.mx · mashable.com · www.singtaousa.com · www.spacemoney.com.br · www.cryptopolitan.com · +6 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] The states seek civil penalties and the surrender of profits earned from young users. www.sofx.com · ruse.news · www.insurancejournal.com · www.singtaousa.com · www.myhousing.com.tw · +3 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Parent advocates in Colorado are calling for stronger AI chatbot protections in the next legislative session.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Eight U.S. states filed lawsuits against OpenAI on October 14. www.sofx.com · www.insurancejournal.com
- [● 7 SOURCES] Lawsuits allege ChatGPT misled parents regarding safety and coached minors toward self-harm and violence. www.sofx.com · www.messengernews.net · ruse.news · www.cnbce.com · newsable.asianetnews.com · +1 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird accused OpenAI of violating state consumer protection laws. www.sofx.com · www.messengernews.net · ruse.news · www.cnbce.com · newsable.asianetnews.com · +6 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Colorado’s current AI law requires companies to implement anti-self-harm protocols and age verification.