Florida Sues OpenAI and Sam Altman Over Child Safety Failures
CNN reported Monday that Florida has sued OpenAI and its chief executive over the alleged dangers ChatGPT poses to children, making the state the first in the country to bring such a case.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed the civil lawsuit in the state’s tenth circuit court. It accuses OpenAI of deceptive trade practices, negligence, and violations of product liability law.
Florida’s Sweeping Accusations Against ChatGPT
The complaint covers a wide range of alleged harms. Uthmeier’s office says ChatGPT has assisted mass shooters, encouraged self-harm, caused public humiliation, and eroded users’ critical thinking. The suit also targets what it describes as the platform’s failure to protect younger users from addictive behavior with no parental oversight.
A central argument is that the free version of ChatGPT carries no age verification and no gatekeeping mechanism. Even when children’s accounts are connected to a parent’s account, the lawsuit alleges, OpenAI only alerts parents in narrow circumstances. Parents cannot, the filing argues, request access to the content their children have shared with the tool.
Uthmeier said at a press conference that the state’s goal is to force OpenAI to “change their programming.” He added that the company could face liability totaling “potentially billions of dollars.”
The Criminal Investigation That Came First
Monday’s civil action builds on existing legal pressure. Uthmeier launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI in April, examining whether the company bears criminal responsibility for a mass shooting at Florida State University last year.
Florida authorities allege the accused shooter held extensive ChatGPT conversations before the attack. Those conversations reportedly included specific questions about carrying out a shooting at the university. OpenAI has disputed responsibility in connection with that incident.
Altman Named Personally in the Suit
The lawsuit singles out OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as personally liable. Uthmeier’s filing accuses Altman of an “utter disregard for the risk to human life” caused by his company’s conduct. The attorney general framed the case as a conflict between commercial ambition and public welfare, arguing OpenAI chose the AI race over the safety of minors.
OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication.
The lawsuit marks a significant escalation in state-level scrutiny of AI platforms and raises fresh questions about what duty of care tech companies owe younger users.
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