Sam Altman and OpenAI under legal fire, lawsuit claims ChatGPT puts children at risk
Follow UsFlorida has sued OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, accusing the company of putting children at risk with ChatGPT.
The lawsuit claims OpenAI prioritised growth and profits over user safety.
The case is part of a growing number of lawsuits attempting to link ChatGPT to harmful real-world events.
Florida has sued OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, accusing the company of putting children at risk and ignoring safety concerns related to its popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. The lawsuit, filed by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, claims OpenAI prioritised growth and profits over user safety.
Survey“Today, we announced the first-in-the-nation state-led lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman,” said Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. He further said that “OpenAI and Altman ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians.”
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As per TechCrunch, the 83-page lawsuit argues that OpenAI misrepresented ChatGPT’s safety and failed to adequately address known risks. According to the lawsuit, the chatbot has been connected to several harmful incidents involving violence, suicide and addiction among minors.
The complaint states, “Because of Defendants’ misrepresentations about ChatGPT and their careless introduction of ChatGPT to Florida and the world, mass shooters have been aided and abetted in deadly rampages, vulnerable people have been encouraged into suicide, professionals have suffered public humiliation, users have lost critical thinking skills, and minors have become addicted to a tool that feigns human compassion to collect their data with no parental oversight.”
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The lawsuit comes after Florida authorities launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI earlier this year. The probe sought to find whether ChatGPT played any role in the 2025 Florida State University shooting. The shooter allegedly interacted with the chatbot before carrying out the attack. OpenAI has previously denied any responsibility for the incident.
The case is part of a growing number of lawsuits attempting to link ChatGPT to harmful real-world events. Last year, OpenAI was also sued by the parents of a California teenager who took his own life after discussing suicide with the chatbot.
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