Eight U.S. States Sue OpenAI Over Alleged Harm to Children
Eight U.S. states sue OpenAI over ChatGPT's alleged harm to children.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the company of causing harm to children through ChatGPT and misleading parents about the product’s safety.
Seven other states—Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Montana—have taken similar legal action, each filing separate lawsuits in their respective courts.
Claims and OpenAI’s Position
Iowa claims that OpenAI marketed ChatGPT as a safe tool, but in practice, it posed dangers to vulnerable users, including children.
The state’s attorney general’s office alleges that the chatbot is designed to overly agree with users and simulate empathy. According to the office, the AI product encouraged users toward self-harm and harm to others, and provided dangerous medical advice.
“OpenAI is harming children and lying to Iowa residents,” Bird stated.
She added that the lawsuit aims to protect children and hold the company accountable under state laws.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court. She claims OpenAI intentionally made ChatGPT appealing to teenagers to keep them engaged longer, thereby collecting more personal data for commercial purposes.
The lawsuit also alleges that the chatbot encouraged minors to share personal information exclusively with it and sometimes discouraged them from discussing it with parents, relatives, authorities, or friends.
Nebraska accused OpenAI of violating three state laws, including one requiring online services to be designed with age-appropriate considerations. Montana accused the company of violating consumer protection and data privacy regulations.
The states seek fines and compensation for affected individuals, demand that OpenAI improve child protection measures, and stop misleading users. Some lawsuits reportedly call for the company to forfeit profits earned from minors.
OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri told CNBC that the company has incorporated age-appropriate safeguards into its product, which many other AI services lack. He stated that OpenAI is working with states on regulations that will apply industry-wide.
Context
In September last year, the attorneys general of California and Delaware sent a letter to OpenAI’s board of directors highlighting insufficient child protection measures. They linked this issue to a review of the company’s restructuring into a commercial entity.
At that time, the company launched a version of ChatGPT for teenagers with parental controls.
In June 2026, Florida filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman, accusing the company and its CEO of aggressively marketing the chatbot to minors.
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