The state of Florida, USA, has accused the startup OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman of aggressively promoting the ChatGPT chatbot among teenagers and has demanded a ban on controversial practices along with the imposition of fines. This was reported by CNN citing court documents.
In the lawsuit, Attorney General James Uthmeier claims that the company deliberately promoted ChatGPT while concealing the service’s risks—from “instructions” for minors with suicidal thoughts to aiding suspects in planning crimes.
The allegations relate to the law on unfair and deceptive trade practices, as well as software defects, lack of appropriate warnings, and creating a public threat.
Florida seeks a court injunction against the disputed practices, civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each intentional violation, and compensation for affected parties.
State authorities insist that ChatGPT harms children and teenagers by encouraging self-harm, fostering behavioral addiction, and leading to a decline in critical thinking skills. Furthermore, the free version lacks an age verification mechanism, and in the paid subscription, age can be entered without verification.
A separate set of allegations concerns data. According to the document, OpenAI was aware of the service being used by children under 13, collected their personal information, and did not obtain parental consent.
The lawsuit cites several incidents of violations. For example, an investigation into ChatGPT’s role in the Florida State University shooting. It also mentions a case involving the murder of two graduate students: the accused had asked the chatbot for advice on eliminating evidence shortly before their disappearance.
Another case is the tragedy of 16-year-old Adam Rayne, who, according to authorities, committed suicide after prolonged conversations with ChatGPT.
“Sam Altman and ChatGPT chose the race for artificial intelligence over the safety of our children. They chose profit over public safety, and we will not tolerate it here in Florida,” the prosecutor emphasized.
Uthmeier stated that he expects support for the legal initiative from other states.
In May, a court dismissed Elon Musk’s lawsuit against Altman, Greg Brockman, OpenAI, and Microsoft due to late filing.