Florida Files First State Lawsuit Against OpenAI Over Alleged ChatGPT Harms

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued OpenAI and Sam Altman, alleging the company released ChatGPT despite warnings about risks involving violence, suicide, minors and user dependence.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Florida filed a lawsuit Monday against OpenAI, becoming the first state to bring legal action against the artificial intelligence company over alleged harms connected to ChatGPT.

The lawsuit, filed by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, accuses OpenAI of knowingly releasing an unsafe product and failing to act on warnings about potential dangers linked to its flagship AI assistant, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The complaint alleges that ChatGPT has been permitted to aid mass shooters, encourage suicides, weaken users’ critical thinking skills and addict minors. It also names OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman directly, alleging he allowed the product to be released despite the claimed defects.

“This litany of harms is driven by Defendants’ insatiable quest to win the AI arms race and amass large fortunes, despite knowing the danger of ChatGPT,” the lawsuit states.

Uthmeier’s legal action follows a criminal investigation he opened in April after prosecutors said ChatGPT played a role in the Florida State University shooting last year. Authorities said the suspect, Phoenix Ikner, used ChatGPT while planning the attack.

The lawsuit argues that OpenAI prioritized speed, market dominance and financial gain over safety, despite internal and external warnings that the technology could be misused or cause harm to vulnerable users.

Florida’s complaint places new legal pressure on one of the world’s most prominent artificial intelligence companies as state officials seek to hold AI developers accountable for how their products are designed, released and used.

The case also marks a significant escalation in state-level scrutiny of AI tools, with Florida arguing that the alleged harms were not isolated events but predictable consequences of releasing a powerful consumer-facing chatbot without sufficient safeguards.