The state of Florida has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, alleging that the company misrepresented the safety of its ChatGPT platform. According to the lawsuit, ChatGPT has harmed children by providing information to individuals who later carried out school shootings, offering guidance related to self-harm, and fostering addictive behavior among young users.
Marking the first state-level legal action against the company, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed the lawsuit in a Florida state court. The complaint references a shooting at a university in Tallahassee last year, as well as incidents in other states where ChatGPT allegedly provided information to individuals who later committed acts of violence.
At a press conference, Uthmeier said the state named Altman personally in the lawsuit because he had played a central role in promoting several ChatGPT features that the Attorney General described as among the most harmful.
“People are getting hurt, parents are being misled, and there must be accountability,” Uthmeier told reporters.
The lawsuit seeks damages that could amount to billions of dollars, according to Uthmeier, as well as a court order requiring the company to change how it interacts with younger users.
Artificial intelligence companies are facing a growing wave of lawsuits alleging failures to prevent harmful interactions with chatbots, which plaintiffs claim have contributed to self-harm, mental health problems, and violence.
OpenAI is also facing a separate lawsuit filed by the family of a victim killed in the shooting at Florida State University. The suit alleges that the attacker was assisted by ChatGPT in planning the attack.
