Florida Sues OpenAI Over Chatbot Security Concerns

Florida on Monday became the first state to sue OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT poses a risk to children and that the company failed to warn the public about the dangers the chatbot poses, adding to the growing backlash against artificial intelligence.

In the 83-page lawsuit, which was filed in Florida’s 10th Judicial Circuit, the state said OpenAI created “a dangerous online product where harmful information such as tips for eating disorders, self-harm and mass murder, including of young children, is readily available.”

The company and its CEO, Sam Altman, were negligent and violated Florida’s unfair and deceptive practices ban, the state added.

“They chose profit over public safety,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, a Republican, said at a news conference Monday. He added that the company and its CEO could be liable for billions of dollars in damages or penalties.

The lawsuit is the latest example of increased scrutiny of the effects of AI OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and other companies have faced tough questions about the negative effects of their popular chatbots, including a series of lawsuits over children who interacted with the chatbots before they died by suicide.

In January, Google and Character.AI, a chatbot tool, agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by the mother of a Florida teenager who used one of Character.AI’s bots before committing suicide in 2024. Google licensed the Character.AI technology and hired its founder after the teenager’s death.

More broadly, politicians and voters alike are increasingly concerned about the impacts of the widespread adoption of AI, including the potential for energy prices to skyrocket as a result of the technology’s power, as well as its potential to put many populations out of work.

State governments have taken the lead in creating restrictions and approving rules governing AI The Trump administration, which is close to Silicon Valley leaders and has largely pushed for AI on the grounds that the United States must lead China in developing the technology, has tried to neuter state actions.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, proposed a radical bill last year that would have controlled AI. However, his legislation floundered when it failed to garner enough support from the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives.

Mr. Uthmeier opened the OpenAI investigation in April, citing concerns that ChatGPT may have been “used to assist the killer” in the fatal shooting at Florida State University in 2025. He also raised concerns about the drug’s effect on children.

“As big as technology is, these technologies should not – cannot – compromise our safety and security,” Mr Uthmeier said in a video announcing the inquiry.

Mr. Uthmeier said Monday that a criminal investigation into the company was continuing.

The state lawsuit alleges that OpenAI is marketing ChatGPT as safe and creating features that specifically appeal to minors. But “the simple truth is that she is shockingly unreliable,” the state said in its filing.

The chatbot provided faulty medical advice, sent disturbing messages to people in mental distress and aided in acts of violence, including the 2025 FSU shooting, the state said.

An OpenAI spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Florida’s lawsuit against OpenAI follows several state lawsuits against social media companies in recent years that have accused the online platforms of harming children.

A jury in New Mexico found in March that Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, misled people about the safety of its products and enabled the sexual exploitation of young users. A jury ordered the company to pay $375 million in a lawsuit filed by the New Mexico attorney general.

More state lawsuits are scheduled to go to trial later this year over claims by social media companies that they designed their apps to harm children.

(The New York Times sued OpenAI and its partner, Microsoft, accusing them of infringing news content related to AI systems. OpenAI and Microsoft have denied the claims.)

Kirsten Noyes contributed research.