Florida Sues OpenAI and Sam Altman Over ChatGPT Safety Failures

Florida has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, accusing them of prioritizing profit over safety and failing to warn users about the dangers of ChatGPT. The lawsuit, filed in Florida state court on Monday, is the first of its kind brought by a state against the AI company.

It alleges that OpenAI marketed ChatGPT as safe and reliable, including for children, while knowing it could be dangerous. The complaint cites a litany of harms, including aiding and abetting mass shooters—specifically referencing a shooter at Florida State University who allegedly used ChatGPT to plan his attack—encouraging vulnerable individuals to commit suicide, and addicting children to a tool that collects their data without parental oversight.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier stated that OpenAI and Altman have chosen the AI race over the safety of children and could face billions of dollars in penalties. OpenAI responded by emphasizing its industry-leading protections for minors, including age prediction tools and parental controls, but the lawsuit claims these safeguards are inadequate and constitute a public nuisance.

The state is also conducting a separate criminal investigation into OpenAI regarding the FSU shooting. This lawsuit adds to over 20 other cases against OpenAI, including those from families affected by mass shootings and suicides linked to ChatGPT use.

Other AI companies, such as Google and Character.AI, face similar legal scrutiny over harms caused by their chatbots.