Bipartisan group of states files lawsuits against OpenAI
A group of state attorneys general from both major political parties does not seem to agree with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who has said that “the world should accept some bad things happening” to gain the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI).
There are claims that OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT, has helped contribute to school shootings and teen suicides. At least eight states are suing OpenAI. They accuse the company of breaking laws meant to protect consumers and putting young users at risk.
The state attorneys general are also ignoring President Donald Trump’s claim that AI companies should be allowed to “self-police” as they quickly develop their AI tools.
Eight US states sued OpenAI on Wednesday, claiming that the company behind ChatGPT is harming large numbers of children.
Kansas, Arizona, Montana, Iowa and four other states claim that OpenAI’s products engaged in “willful, dangerous, reckless and unlawful conduct” by encouraging children to hurt themselves.
“OpenAI is hurting kids and they are lying to Iowans,” Brenna Bird, Iowa’s attorney general, said in a statement. “OpenAI claims ChatGPT is safe while it’s giving dangerous medical advice, encouraging people to hurt others, and coaching people to commit suicide – all while pretending to be their fake friend.”
The lawsuits were also filed in Arkansas, Idaho, Nebraska and West Virginia. They seek money in damages, limits on OpenAI’s activities, and court-ordered changes to how the company develops its AI models. An OpenAI spokesperson told The Guardian that the company has “built industry-leading age-specific protections into our product that many other AI products lack.”
The lawsuits show that states want to put safety rules in place for AI companies. Meanwhile, the Trump administration, led by someone who has invested heavily in the AI industry, is trying to stop states from making their own rules. The lawsuits also come at a time of widespread public concern that AI tools could destroy humanity.
However, states have faced obstacles in trying to regulate AI. For example, Elon Musk recently won a partial legal victory when his AI company obtained a preliminary court order that temporarily stopped a Minnesota law from taking effect. The law would ban AI tools that create sexual images of people without their consent, including images of children.
Even so, the lawsuit against OpenAI shows that several states are continuing to push hard for rules governing AI, despite the obstacles.