Florida has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the company and CEO Sam Altman of releasing and promoting ChatGPT despite allegedly knowing the technology posed significant risks to users, particularly children and teenagers.
The lawsuit, announced by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, alleges that OpenAI misrepresented the safety of ChatGPT while failing to adequately address risks ranging from self-harm and addiction to criminal activity and harmful psychological influence. The civil complaint seeks financial penalties and other remedies under Florida consumer protection laws.
The complaint claims that OpenAI prioritized rapid growth and market expansion over user protection. Florida argues that the company promoted ChatGPT as a beneficial and safe technology while minimizing or failing to disclose known limitations and risks.
The state is pursuing a broad set of claims, including deceptive trade practices, negligence, product liability violations, fraudulent misrepresentation and public nuisance allegations. The lawsuit also seeks to hold Altman personally responsible for conduct described in the filing as reckless and harmful to Florida residents.
While OpenAI has faced numerous lawsuits from private individuals and families, Florida’s filing is the first lawsuit brought by a state government against OpenAI and Altman over alleged safety and consumer protection violations tied to ChatGPT.
Alleged Criminal Misuse of ChatGPT
The lawsuit cites multiple incidents involving alleged criminal misuse of ChatGPT. Among them are allegations that a suspect in the Florida State University mass shooting consulted ChatGPT before the attack. The complaint also references a separate homicide case involving two University of South Florida doctoral students, in which prosecutors said the accused had questioned ChatGPT about disposing of a human body shortly before the victims disappeared.
Florida’s filing emphasizes risks to younger users. The state claims that ChatGPT lacks sufficient safeguards for minors and that existing parental oversight tools are inadequate. According to the complaint, the free version of ChatGPT does not require meaningful age verification and does not provide parents with full visibility into interactions between children and the chatbot.
The lawsuit references research from Stanford psychiatrist Dr. Nina Vasan, who tested chatbot responses while posing as a teenage girl experiencing symptoms of mental distress. Florida argues that such interactions demonstrate the potential for AI systems to respond inappropriately to vulnerable users.
The complaint cites cases in which families allege that chatbot interactions played a role in self-harm incidents involving teenagers, and claims that OpenAI’s systems can foster emotional dependency through conversations that simulate human intimacy.
In addition to child safety concerns, the lawsuit accuses ChatGPT of providing unreliable information while being marketed for practical uses. Florida argues that company advertising highlighted benefits for consumers and small businesses without adequately communicating that AI-generated responses can be inaccurate or entirely fabricated.
OpenAI’s Response
OpenAI rejected the allegations and defended its safety efforts. The company said ChatGPT serves hundreds of millions of users worldwide and that it continues to strengthen protections designed to prevent misuse.
The company pointed to measures aimed at younger users, including age-estimation technology, enhanced safeguards for minors and parental monitoring tools. OpenAI also said its systems are continually updated to recognize signs of emotional distress and direct users toward professional support when appropriate.
Florida has been pursuing various efforts to regulate AI technologies. Uthmeier launched a separate criminal investigation into OpenAI earlier this year related to the Florida State University shooting. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has advocated for stronger state-level oversight of AI companies and proposed an AI Bill of Rights focused on privacy and consumer protections.
The case adds to a growing list of legal and regulatory challenges facing OpenAI as governments and advocacy groups question how AI systems should be regulated as their influence expands.
