Arkansans react as attorney general sues OpenAI over ChatGPT safety concerns
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin is suing OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, alleging it misled consumers about the artificial intelligence platform’s safety and failed to adequately protect children and teenagers.
Griffin announced the lawsuit Wednesday, saying OpenAI represented ChatGPT as safe while allegedly knowing about significant risks and limitations.
The lawsuit alleges ChatGPT has been used by minors to obtain instructions for self-harm, including suicide. It also claims users have been able to bypass the platform’s safety measures and generate responses the company said its safeguards were designed to prevent.
Griffin said the allegations raise concerns about whether consumers have received accurate information about the platform’s protections.
The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of violating the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Children’s and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act. It also includes claims of negligence, defective design and failure to warn users about potential risks.
The state is seeking clearer disclosures about ChatGPT’s risks, restitution for affected consumers and civil penalties. The lawsuit also seeks to prevent OpenAI from collecting minors’ data and to halt certain advanced AI testing and development until adequate safeguards are in place.
While the lawsuit raises concerns about the technology’s safety, some people who use AI say it has become a regular part of everyday life.
Darshil Desai, a Robinson Middle School student, said he uses AI for study guides and practice tests. He also sees people turning to the technology for other types of information, including medical questions.
“Since people use AI every day now, I mean, I don’t see why they wouldn’t use it for medical stuff,” Desai said.
London Glover said she uses AI to get travel advice, particularly when looking for affordable options. However, she also raised concerns about how technology collects or uses personal information.
Glover described noticing advertisements for products she had discussed with her mother, questioning whether her voice was being recognized.
“When I say I talk to my mom, I’m telling her I want this new bag … and then it pops up as the first thing on my Instagram,” Glover said.
Glover also said she believes AI platforms should have age restrictions.
“I definitely think there should be an age restriction on it, some kind of restriction. Whoever made it should have just created a restriction on it,” she said.
Desai said AI has become increasingly common among people he knows.
“Most people that I know use AI, it feels like it’s taken over,” he said.
Similar lawsuits against OpenAI were also filed Wednesday by the attorneys general of Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arizona, Idaho, Montana and Utah.
The case comes as concerns grow over AI companies’ responsibilities to protect users, particularly children, while developing increasingly advanced technology.
