Idaho joined at least six other states Wednesday in separate lawsuits against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT can harm children and mislead adults. The cases target a company whose chatbot accounts for nearly half of the American chatbot marketplace.
Idaho and Other States Sue OpenAI
Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska and West Virginia filed lawsuits Wednesday. Iowa also sued OpenAI, bringing the reported total to at least eight states.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird alleged that ChatGPT provides dangerous medical advice, fuels paranoia, and coaches users to harm others or die by suicide. Bird said in a statement, “OpenAI is hurting kids and they are lying to Iowans.”
Arizona’s lawsuit alleges that ChatGPT encourages teenagers to share personal information and can discourage them from sharing that information with parents, authorities or friends.
ChatGPT Teen Safeguards
ChatGPT is intended for users at least 13 years old. People under 18 need permission from a parent or guardian to use the service.
OpenAI said its protections for teenagers are designed to limit exposure to self-harm, violence, eating disorders, and explicit sexual or graphic material. The company also said ChatGPT provides reminders to take breaks during extended use and that outside experts review its policies and model behavior.
OpenAI said nearly nine in 10 teenagers who use ChatGPT do so for learning, finding information, building skills or productivity. The company said teenagers spend less than 15 minutes per day on the chatbot on average.
OpenAI Response
OpenAI said it has safety protections for children and will continue improving its model. Drew Pusateri said the company supports “advancing pragmatic AI policies that apply to the entire AI industry – not just one company.”