The suit centred on the chatbot’s alleged contribution to crimes
The state of Florida has sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman over the company’s release of ChatGPT despite being aware of the significant safety risks the chatbot posed, reported the Associated Press.
According to Florida attorney general James Uthmeier, the state is the first to file a suit against the artificial intelligence giant. The suit, which was filed in Florida circuit court, claims that OpenAI opted to rush ChatGPT to market and failed to disclose the risks to users.
“Today, we announced the first-in-the-nation state-led lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. OpenAI and Altman ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians,” Uthmeier said at a news conference; a snippet of his statement was published by AP News.
The suit also claimed that ChatGPT obtained minors’ data without significant oversight from parents. Moreover, it alleged that using the chatbot sparked behavioral addiction and cognitive harm.
In addition, the suit claimed that OpenAI minimized dangerous errors. Officials pointed out that unfair and defective trade practices are banned under Florida law; thus, the suit seeks to hold OpenAI accountable for conduct that it said caused Floridians continuous harm.
Last year, OpenAI was at the center of what AP News said was the first wrongful death litigation that has connected a chatbot to a homicide case. Several suits filed in California also accused ChatGPT of assisted suicide, involuntary manslaughter, and negligence.
In April, Uthmeier had launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI over whether ChatGPT had contributed to a shooting at Florida State University. According to prosecutors, ChatGPT had given the gunman charged in that incident tips on the type of gun and ammunition to use, the usefulness of a gun at short range, and the times and locations that would cause the most damage.
A man charged with murdering two University of South Florida doctoral students had also reportedly consulted ChatGPT. OpenAI said it had cooperated with law enforcement in these investigations.
The company also argued that ChatGPT constantly urged users to seek professional help.
“ChatGPT is a general-purpose tool used by hundreds of millions of people every day for legitimate purposes. We work continuously to strengthen our safeguards to detect harmful intent, limit misuse, and respond appropriately when safety risks arise,” the company said in a statement published by AP News.
