Paxton Sues OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman Over ChatGPT Safety
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. OpenAI is the company that makes ChatGPT. Paxton says the company has misled people about how safe its AI chatbot is and has not done enough to protect children from harmful content.
The 67-page lawsuit was filed in Collin County, Texas. It claims OpenAI broke two Texas laws: the Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which protects consumers from misleading business practices, and the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, which aims to protect children online.
Paxton says OpenAI has promoted ChatGPT as a safe and trustworthy tool without clearly warning people about the risks of using it.
The lawsuit points to reports that ChatGPT has given people wrong medical and legal advice, encouraged dangerous actions, and caused some users to become emotionally dependent on it. The lawsuit says these problems are especially concerning for children and teenagers.
It also claims OpenAI has cared more about making money and developing new technology quickly than keeping users safe.
Paxton said that as AI technology grows quickly, OpenAI has a duty to protect people who use it and warn them about the many possible dangers of its platform.
He also said he would work to protect people in Texas from the dangers of AI and make sure powerful technology companies follow the law like everyone else.
A major part of the lawsuit focuses on claims that OpenAI broke Texas' SCOPE Act, which went into effect in September 2024.
This law requires companies that provide online services to take steps to protect children, limit how much personal information they collect from children, and give parents ways to watch over what their children do online.
Paxton claims ChatGPT does not do enough to check users' ages or give parents control over their children's use of the service. He says this allows children to talk with the chatbot and share private personal information without enough protection.
The lawsuit also criticizes features of ChatGPT's conversations. It claims these features encourage people to keep chatting for longer periods and become emotionally attached to the chatbot.
According to the lawsuit, OpenAI designed ChatGPT to act as though it understands and cares about people's feelings while also collecting their personal information.
Texas is asking the court to make OpenAI pay financial penalties and change how it operates. The lawsuit also asks the court to hold Sam Altman personally responsible for his alleged role in guiding the company's actions.
The lawsuit comes at a time when President Donald Trump has supported the fast growth of artificial intelligence. He recently signed an executive order that renamed the technology "Super Intelligence."
Trump has supported the growth of the AI industry and has pushed for the United States to become the world's leader in developing AI.
Texas Scorecard has contacted OpenAI to ask for a comment.