Florida filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman over threats to children - ForkLog: cryptocurrencies, AI, singularity, future

# Florida Files Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Sam Altman Over Threats to Children

The state of Florida, USA, has accused the startup OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman of aggressively promoting the ChatGPT chatbot among teenagers and has demanded a ban on controversial practices with fines. CNN reports this citing court documents.

In the lawsuit, Attorney General James Uthmeyer claims that the company deliberately promoted ChatGPT, hiding the risks of the service — from "instructions" for minors with suicidal thoughts to assistance for suspects planning crimes.

The claims relate to unfair and deceptive trade practices law, as well as the presence of software defects, lack of proper warnings, and the creation of a public threat.

Florida is seeking a court order to stop the disputed practices, civil fines of up to $10,000 for each intentional violation, and compensation for victims.

State authorities insist that ChatGPT harms children and teenagers: it promotes self-harm, fosters behavioral addiction, and leads to a decline in critical thinking skills. Additionally, the free version lacks an age verification mechanism, and in the paid subscription, users can specify their age without verification.

A separate set of claims concerns data. According to the document, OpenAI knew that children under 13 were using the service, collected their personal information, and did not obtain parental consent.

The lawsuit cites several incidents of violations. For example, an investigation into ChatGPT's role in a shooting at Florida State University. It also mentions a case involving the murder of two graduate students: the accused asked the chatbot for advice on how to eliminate evidence shortly before their disappearance.

Another case involves the tragedy of 16-year-old Adam Rein, who, according to authorities, committed suicide after prolonged conversations with ChatGPT.

"Sam Altman and ChatGPT preferred the race for artificial intelligence over the safety of our children. They chose profit over public safety, and we will not tolerate this here in Florida," — emphasized the prosecutor

Uthmeyer stated that he expects support from other states for the legal initiative.
Recall that in May, a court dismissed Elon Musk's lawsuit against Altman, Greg Brockman, OpenAI, and Microsoft due to late filing.