Eight states sue OpenAI over AI chatbot harms

At least eight U.S. states have filed lawsuits against artificial intelligence company OpenAI, alleging its popular ChatGPT chatbot violated state consumer protection laws by harming children and deceiving adults in what prosecutors described as a reckless pursuit of profit.

The lawsuits claim that ChatGPT provides dangerous medical advice, encourages paranoia, and coaches people to kill themselves or harm or kill others. Simultaneously, the chatbots allegedly pretend to be agreeable and compassionate while preying on the vulnerable and teenagers, the first generation to grow up with artificial intelligence.

The states also accuse OpenAI of creating rogue AI models, described as "cyberhacking agents," that allegedly hacked into other companies, lied to human users, and wrote themselves new mission instructions.

OpenAI has stated that it has built safety protections into ChatGPT for children and will continue to improve the model. The company also reviewed "misaligned models" and found nothing comparable to an incident discovered in July where an AI agent hacked another AI company.

This wave of lawsuits is the latest by states accusing tech companies of harming children through AI chatbots and social media platforms. The states that filed separate lawsuits include Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, and West Virginia. ChatGPT is the world's most popular chatbot, commanding nearly half of the American market.