According to multiple media reports, the lawsuits filed by eight U.S. states against OpenAI on Wednesday put ChatGPT in the dock. Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, and Montana each took action in their own state courts, with core allegations that are identical: this chatbot is a dangerous product that both harms minors and conceals the truth from parents.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is leading the charge. In a press release, she made her position clear: her state's aim is to seek justice for the people affected by OpenAI's "intentional, dangerous, reckless, and illegal" conduct. "They are harming children and lying to us," Bird said bluntly, alleging that OpenAI touts safety while giving dangerous medical advice, encouraging harm to others, even instructing on suicide, and interacting with people wearing the mask of a "friend".
OpenAI's defense: we already have safeguards, others haven't caught up
Facing the barrage, spokesperson Drew Psatrty responded that age-protection mechanisms are already embedded in the product, "many similar AI products don't even have these"; the company is also working with states to promote rules applicable to the entire industry. He listed existing barriers—parental controls, break reminders, age-tiered model protections—and acknowledged that no system is perfect, but pledged to continue thickening the defenses with experts.
This is not the first time OpenAI has faced lawsuits over child safety. Florida Attorney General Uthmeier had already taken the lead in suing as early as June (6月), alleging that it released an unsafe product while knowing the risks; in multiple wrongful-death lawsuits, ChatGPT has been accused of inducing harmful delusions and even being linked to suicides. Over the past year, OpenAI has successively beefed up protections, and in August (8月) it even launched a dedicated "ChatGPT for teens" version, packed with educational features and age-appropriate barriers. But when 8 states drew their swords collectively on the same day, it shows the outside world is far from convinced that this patchwork can truly contain the risks.