{"id":60337,"date":"2026-06-03T07:57:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T07:57:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/60337\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T07:57:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T07:57:19","slug":"chatgpt-creators-knew-product-would-cause-harm-florida-argues-in-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/60337\/","title":{"rendered":"ChatGPT creators knew product would cause harm, Florida argues in lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Credit: Shutterstock<\/p>\n

OpenAI should\u2019ve known the damage its chatbot would cause, the state argues in a lawsuit against ChatGPT\u2019s creators.<\/p>\n

In an\u00a083-page filing<\/a>\u00a0in state circuit court in Highlands County, the Florida Department of Legal Affairs and Attorney General James Uthmeier laid ChatGPT\u2019s rollout and management side-by-side with instances in which the technology has been consulted or involved in tragedy, including the 2025 mass shooting on campus of Florida State University.<\/p>\n

The complaint opens with a screenshot of ChatGPT\u2019s parental control policy stating, \u201cBuilt with safety in mind.\u201d The AG\u2019s first words in the brief: \u201cNot so.\u201d<\/p>\n

ChatGPT has become a household name.\u00a0With that came financial growth. At the end of 2024, ChatGPT generated $1 billion per quarter. As of a month ago, it generated\u00a0$2 billion<\/a>\u00a0per month.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis success has not been earned; the rise of OpenAI is attributable to a web of deceit and the exploitation of users (including Floridians), leveraging their data and safety to boost OpenAI\u2019s market value at unacceptable costs,\u201d the state argued, emphasizing that a rapid rollout of the product puts consumers at risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The state seeks monetary damages, disgorgement, restitution, civil penalties, equitable relief, injunctive relief, and attorneys\u2019 fees and costs. The lawsuit alleges OpenAI violated the\u00a0Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and seeks to\u00a0hold OpenAI CEO Sam Altman personally liable for his \u201creckless and willful conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n

OpenAI has not yet responded to a Phoenix request for comment but issued a\u00a0written statement to NPR<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAI is a new and powerful technology, and we believe minors need significant protection, which is why we have put in place industry leading protections and policies,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn particular we built safety for minors directly into our products, including a more protective experience specifically for minors, an age prediction tool, defaulting users whose age we are not confident into our more protective experience, and giving parents tools to monitor their kids\u2019 use of AI.\u201d<\/p>\n

The state alleges ChatGPT is a \u201cpublic nuisance.\u201d<\/p>\n

The suit references various studies finding negative effects of the technology on mental health, academic performance, and more.<\/p>\n

The lawsuit references the FSU shooting, in which the alleged gunman consulted ChatGPT seeking information about other shooters\u2019 notoriety and how to use his guns. The state goes on to mention other instances in which a crime was committed after a criminal consulted ChatGPT.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs these examples show, ChatGPT proactively aids, abets, and promotes dangerous activities and is a threat to the public safety of Floridians,\u201d the suit alleges.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Uthmeier touts it as a first in the nation lawsuit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The AG says OpenAI\u2019s advertisements show how useful ChatGPT can be to scale a business, manage healthcare, and other tasks but do not disclose that the tool makes mistakes or hallucinate information.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite Defendants\u2019 marketing that ChatGPT is a reliable aid for almost any of life\u2019s daily affairs, the plain truth is that it is shockingly unreliable,\u201d the lawsuit alleges.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The filing points to attorneys across the country who\u2019ve relied on the tool to compose court filings, leading to documents containing hallucinated information. Last week, the Florida Supreme Court\u00a0introduced<\/a>\u00a0an artificial intelligence policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The state is asking to permanently enjoin OpenAI from collecting data from people younger than 13 without providing notice and parental consent.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe free version of ChatGPT has no gatekeeping or age verification mechanism whatsoever. While ChatGPT\u2019s paid subscription nominally asks users to provide their age, there is no mechanism to verify the age of its users, and no ability to inform parents of what conversations minors are having with ChatGPT,\u201d the state alleges.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cChatGPT does not send reports of a child\u2019s activity to parents, or otherwise alert parents if a child accesses concerning content other than if the additional (voluntary) step of linking an account has been set up, and even then, only in \u2018limited situations.\u2019 In no event can a parent request access to what information a child has provided ChatGPT.\u201d<\/p>\n

The state launched a criminal investigation into the company in April.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dangers of ChatGPT proactively providing advice and suggestions about self-harm or violence that have led to several deaths in Florida, along with the cognitive decline and behavioral addiction of Florida teens, outweigh any benefits of having an available AI chatbot,\u201d the suit states.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The suit goes into Sam Altman\u2019s professional history, alleging his \u201cdangerous and deceptive management of OpenAI\u201d as it evolved from a smaller nonprofit into the AI giant it is today.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless Defendants are temporarily and permanently enjoined from engaging further in the acts and practices complained of herein, Defendants\u2019 actions will continue to result in irreparable injury to the public for which there is no adequate remedy at law.\u201d<\/p>\n

The state is seeking a jury trial.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Florida Phoenix<\/a>\u00a0is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Contact Michael Moline for questions:\u00a0info@floridaphoenix.com<\/a>. Follow Florida Phoenix on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tThe complaint opens with a screenshot of ChatGPT\u2019s parental control policy stating, \u201cBuilt with safety in mind.\u201d The AG\u2019s first words in the brief: \u201cNot so.\u201d\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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