WASHINGTON: According to a Reuters report published by The Express Tribune, attorneys general from a bipartisan group of eight US states have sued OpenAI in courts across the country over harms they say ChatGPT has caused their residents.
The states, which include Iowa, Kansas and Arizona, filed the lawsuits independently in state courts. They allege the chatbot has coached users, including teenagers, to harm themselves or others.
The suits claim ChatGPT is designed to be agreeable and engaging in order to win users' trust, but that it reinforces delusions, encourages dangerous behaviour and helps users plan violence such as mass shootings.
The states accuse OpenAI of violating state consumer protection laws by misleading users about ChatGPT's safety, and allege the company created a public nuisance by endangering residents' health.
The lawsuits seek court orders forcing OpenAI to change how ChatGPT works. Among other demands, the states want the company barred from developing AI models that can improve themselves unless it can ensure those models are aligned with human values.
Reuters described the cases as the most significant coordinated state action yet against an artificial intelligence company, adding to legal challenges OpenAI faces as it prepares for a public listing. Florida's attorney general filed the first such state lawsuit in June.