8 US States File Lawsuits Against OpenAI Over ChatGPT Safety Concerns

At least eight states have filed lawsuits against OpenAI, claiming that the company's widely used chatbot model infringed against consumer protection laws in their respective states by injuring minors and misleading adults. According to the complaint filed at Iowa State, the chatbot model ChatGPT is providing harmful medical advice, promoting paranoia, and instructing individuals to harm others or take their own lives.

The lawsuit further claims that the chatbots prey on the weak while acting amiably and compassionately. Brenna Bird, the attorney general at Iowa, issued a statement accusing OpenAI of misleading Iowans and endangering children.

Its Raining Lawsuits for OpenAI in USA

In a statement, OpenAI confirmed that it had implemented child safety measures into ChatGPT and will keep doing so as the model evolves. The states' consumer protection laws have recently seen a surge in litigation. So, people are claiming that social media and tech companies that provide AI chatbots are harmful to kids. Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, and West Virginia are the states that brought individual lawsuits to state courts on 14 October.

According to Arizona's lawsuit, ChatGPT occasionally cautions kids from disclosing personal information to adults in their lives, such as parents or guardians. However, it is simultaneously encouraging them to do so with chatbots. According to the complaints, ChatGPT controls roughly half of the American marketplace, making it the most popular chatbot globally.

As part of a historic $18 billion legal settlement, Meta promised in August to incorporate more robust child-safety features for its Instagram and Facebook services. Claims from nearly every state were settled in a lawsuit that terminated a trial over juvenile social media addiction. There has been success in coordinated multi-state litigation against the tech sector. Meta swiftly pushed its rivals to follow suit, even though the safety measures it pledged to implement were not industry-wide.

Response from OpenAI

A representative from OpenAI, Drew Pusateri, stated that the firm is dedicated to collaborating with governments to promote realistic AI rules that impact the whole industry, not simply one particular player inside it. Users under the age of 18 require the consent of a parent or legal guardian in order to use ChatGPT. The app is designed for users aged 13 and above, according to OpenAI. It further stated that the adolescent chatbot model includes protections meant to lessen exposure to violent or sexually explicit material, eating disorders, self-harm, and other similar issues.

According to the firm, nearly 90% of kids who use ChatGPT utilise it for anything related to learning, information, skill development, or productivity. Teens use ChatGPT for less than fifteen minutes daily, on average, according to a media report. ChatGPT alerts users when it's time to take a break from prolonged use, and OpenAI claims to collaborate with other experts who assess policies and model behaviour.