Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Friday, Oct. 23, against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. Paxton accuses the technology giant of misleading consumers about the safety of ChatGPT and of providing inadequate protection for users, particularly children and teenagers. Among other things, the state is asking the court to bar minors in Texas from accessing the chatbot and to require independent reviews of new artificial intelligence models before they are released to the public.
The suit was filed in state court in Collin County. According to the state attorney general’s office, OpenAI advertised its products as safe, credible and reliable while failing to adequately disclose the potential risks.
The filing cites cases in which the chatbot allegedly gave harmful advice about self-harm, reinforced users’ “dangerous beliefs” and encouraged unhealthy, personal emotional relationships with the AI system.
Prosecutors also point to incidents involving autonomous AI agents that, according to the suit, took unforeseen actions, including gaining or attempting to gain unauthorized access to outside computer systems. Texas officials argue that these cases undermine assurances that the technology can be effectively controlled. The suit is based on state consumer protection laws and regulations on children’s online safety.
In Paxton’s view, the company rushed one product after another to market, motivated by financial gain and disregarding internal safety warnings.
One of the most far-reaching demands listed in the suit is a ban on minors in Texas using ChatGPT. The state also wants to require OpenAI to obtain approval from an independent expert, appointed by the court, before releasing new AI models to users.
“As artificial intelligence technology rapidly develops, OpenAI has a duty to protect users and warn them about the many risks associated with its platform,” Paxton said. He added that he intends to make sure large technology companies follow existing laws.
The Texas attorney general is seeking civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation of the law found.
Ed. JŁ
