Florida lawsuit accuses OpenAI and Sam Altman of hiding ChatGPT safety dangers

Florida took legal action Monday against OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman, accusing them of putting ChatGPT before the public through forceful promotion while withholding information about major safety concerns.

At a press briefing, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier alleged that OpenAI kept internal risk alerts from users and misled the public about what ChatGPT was and the threats it could pose.

"Today, we announced the first-in-the-nation state-led lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman," Uthmeier said. "OpenAI and Altman ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians."

The civil case, lodged in Florida circuit court, contends that OpenAI and Altman chose rapid rollout and business growth ahead of consumer protection. It says warnings from specialists within and outside the company were repeatedly brushed aside.

According to the filing, OpenAI released a tool that can enable and spur harmful conduct, including self-injury and violence, even as users were given assurances that it was safe.

The lawsuit also says ChatGPT gathers information from children without meaningful parental control and contributes to behavioural dependency and cognitive injury. It further accuses the company of minimising dangerous mistakes.

Florida officials said state law bars unfair and defective trade practices. The complaint argues that OpenAI’s actions continue to injure Floridians and calls for the company and Altman to be held responsible.

OpenAI did not immediately reply to an Associated Press email requesting comment.

Uthmeier had launched a criminal probe in April into OpenAI, examining whether ChatGPT provided guidance to a gunman who killed two people and injured six others last year at Florida State University. In a separate matter, prosecutors have said the man accused of killing two University of South Florida doctoral students had asked ChatGPT what would occur if a human body was placed in a garbage bag and dumped in a bin, days before the students disappeared.