Texas Sues OpenAI and Sam Altman Over ChatGPT Safety and Protections for Minors
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued OpenAI and chief executive Sam Altman, claiming ChatGPT was presented as safe while leaving children without adequate age checks or parental controls. The state wants a court to bar the chatbot for minors in Texas and to require court-approved review of new models.
Texas is suing OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman, over ChatGPT, claiming the company misled Texans about the chatbot’s safety and left children without adequate protection. Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the 67-page lawsuit on Oct. 23.
The case was filed in a district court in Collin County. It claims violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act and the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, according to USA Today and FOX 7 Austin.
What Texas claims
According to the lawsuit, OpenAI failed to warn users of ChatGPT’s dangers, offered content unsuitable for children without adequate age checks or parental consent, and released a product without adequate safety testing. The state also claims harmful material, including tips on eating disorders, self-harm and mass murder, was readily available, including to children, and that the product worked unreliably while being presented as reliable.
Under the SCOPE Act claim, Texas says OpenAI does not ask for or check a parent or guardian’s identity or relationship to a minor. The state also says the company does not offer parental tools the law requires, such as limits on sharing a minor’s data.
What Texas wants a court to order
Texas asks a court to bar OpenAI from offering ChatGPT to minors in the state. It also asks the court to bar new AI models from release in Texas unless an independent evaluator approved by a court reviews and approves their safety measures. The state seeks civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation and asset disgorgement.
“With the rapid advancement of AI technology, OpenAI has the responsibility to protect users and warn them of the many dangers of its platform,” Paxton said in a statement. “I will fight to protect Texans from the harms of AI and ensure that powerful technology companies are not above the law.”
An OpenAI spokesperson said the company works with experts to improve ChatGPT and reduce risks, and that it wants safety rules that apply to the whole AI industry rather than a single company, according to FOX 7 Austin.
Reporting based on coverage by USA Today and FOX 7 Austin.
