State lawsuits accuse OpenAI of ignoring its own safety warnings for profit: 'All these harms were foreseeable and avoidable'

The attorney generals for eight US states announced today that they are suing OpenAI.

West Virginia, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Montana have all filed lawsuits alleging that the ChatGPT maker has deceived and endangered the public, particularly children, in the name of profit.

The complaints allege that ChatGPT has "coached" users to harm themselves and others, and—quoting the West Virginia filing specifically—state that "there is a growing body of research indicating that ChatGPT is also degrading critical thinking skills, encouraging paranoias and delusions, offering dangerous medical advice, and promoting unhealthy behaviors and relationships."

Recent tales of "rogue" AI agents are also presented by as evidence of recklessness.

"All these harms were foreseeable and avoidable," reads the West Virginia complaint [ PDF ]. "[OpenAI CEO Sam Altman] himself has warned about the safety risks of AI since at least 2015. It is no secret that children use ChatGPT. And numerous OpenAI employees have left over safety concerns."

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