Eight US states have filed separate lawsuits against OpenAI, accusing the company of harming children and misleading the public about the safety of its ChatGPT chatbot. The complaints, filed by Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho and Montana, allege that OpenAI violated local consumer protection laws by putting profits ahead of safety.
The lawsuits cite several cases where families claim the AI chatbot played a role in the deaths of their loved ones. They argue that OpenAI presented ChatGPT as a safe and youth-appropriate tool while it was actually dangerous to vulnerable users. The complaints describe how the chatbot degraded critical thinking skills, encouraged paranoia, offered dangerous medical advice and promoted unhealthy behaviours among young users.
The states also accuse OpenAI of collecting data from minors without adequate safeguards. Arizona's complaint argues that the company has devolved from its original mission as a public-first nonprofit into a cautionary tale about what happens when AI development is driven by profit rather than safety. The lawsuits reference recent rogue AI hacking incidents as further evidence of recklessness.
In response, OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said the company has built industry-leading age-specific protections into ChatGPT, including parental controls, break reminders and age-appropriate model protections. The states are seeking civil penalties, an end to misleading safety claims and in some cases deletion of unlawfully collected personal data from minors.
