OpenAI is facing a new investigation over concerns about how ChatGPT may affect users. A group of US state attorneys general has launched an investigation against the AI company. According to Business Insider, New York Attorney General Letitia James served OpenAI with a subpoena on Friday. The request seeks documents related to user engagement and retention, how the company handles health and consumer data, its AI models, and activities involving younger and older users.
Responding to the investigation, an OpenAI spokesperson said the company is taking the concerns seriously. “Today’s ChatGPT includes a more protective experience for minors and people experiencing difficult situations, with safeguards that direct them to real-world resources and trusted human contacts,” the spokesperson said. “None of this changes what families have gone through, but we are committed to learning, improving, and getting this right,” they added.
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The investigation comes as OpenAI faces growing legal cases over the impact of ChatGPT on users. Several lawsuits have been filed against the company, including claims that interactions with ChatGPT have influenced users who later died by suicide.
Following concerns raised earlier this year, OpenAI said ChatGPT should not be used as a replacement for professional help. The company explained that ChatGPT “is not a substitute for medical or mental health care, and we have continued to strengthen how it responds in sensitive and acute situations with input from mental health experts.”
OpenAI is also facing legal action related to a fatal shooting at Florida State University in April. The family of one of the victims alleges that ChatGPT’s safety systems failed to recognise warning signs in the shooter’s conversations with the chatbot.
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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has also filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming that ChatGPT has “aided and abetted deadly rampages” and “encouraged vulnerable people into suicide.” The complaint further alleges that some users have become addicted to ChatGPT, which it describes as a tool that “feigns human compassion to collect their data with no parental oversight.”
The coordinated investigation is similar to previous actions taken against social media companies, including TikTok, over concerns about their impact on young users and mental health.
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