Arkansas’ lawsuit claims that ChatGPT has, at times, abandoned its own safety procedures, giving some users misleading medical information and encouraging others to self-harm or commit suicide. As in similar state-led claims, the primary focus is on children’s safety.
Arkansas is taking legal action against OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT.
In an October press release, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced that his office is suing OpenAI over allegations that the company misrepresented the safety, efficacy, and reliability of ChatGPT, by far its best-known and most widely-used product.
“We’re in the midst of a technological revolution. Whether you call it artificial intelligence or super intelligence, the bottom line is that things are rapidly changing. But one thing that has not changed and will not change is Arkansans’ right to receive truthful information about the products and services they use,” said Griffin, a Republican. “That’s why earlier today I filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, the company that owns the platform ChatGPT. Our complaint outlines numerous violations of Arkansas law, but they all boil down to a simple fact: OpenAI represented to Arkansans that ChatGPT was safe, but they knew ChatGPT had significant risks and limitations. They chose to hide that knowledge from consumers.”
Arkansas’ lawsuit claims that ChatGPT has, at times, abandoned its own safety procedures, giving some users misleading medical information and encouraging others to self-harm or commit suicide. As in similar state-led claims, the primary focus is on children’s safety.
“Our complaint alleges that consumers, including minors, have used ChatGPT to acquire instructions for self-harm, including suicide. It also describes instances where users were able to bypass OpenAI’s safety measures and generate responses the company said its safeguards were designed to prevent. Those examples raise serious questions about whether consumers were given an accurate picture of the product’s safety protections,” Griffin said.
The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of violating multiple state and federal laws, including the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, and civil torts under Common Law claims, most of which relate to principles of negligence and strict liability. Griffin’s office seeks a range of penalties, including restitution, damages, and court order enjoining OpenAI from developing or continuing to develop AI models “capable of recursive self-improvement until adequate safeguards are in place.”
Sources
Arkansans react as attorney general sues OpenAI over ChatGPT safety concerns
Attorney General Griffin Sues OpenAI for Misleading Arkansans over Safety of ChatGPT
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