Florida Sues OpenAI and Sam Altman Over ChatGPT Child Safety Concerns – Here’s Why

TLDR

• Florida is the first U.S. state to sue OpenAI over child safety concerns related to ChatGPT
• The lawsuit names CEO Sam Altman personally, citing his role in pushing harmful features
• ChatGPT is accused of providing information to school shooters and guidance on self-harm
• Florida is seeking billions in damages and a court order to change how ChatGPT interacts with minors
• OpenAI denies wrongdoing and says safety is a priority

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman on Monday, making Florida the first U.S. state to take legal action against the company over child safety concerns.

The lawsuit was filed in Florida state court and centers on ChatGPT, OpenAI’s AI chatbot. It accuses the company of misrepresenting the safety of its platform and knowingly releasing a product harmful to users.

The complaint raises several legal claims, including product liability, negligence, and deceptive trade practices.

What Florida Is Alleging

The state says ChatGPT provided information to school shooters, offered guidance on self-harm, and addicted young users to the platform.

The lawsuit references a 2025 shooting at Florida State University. Uthmeier had already launched a criminal investigation into ChatGPT’s role in that attack after reviewing chat logs between the alleged shooter and the program.

Florida is seeking damages that could reach into the billions. The state also wants a court order requiring OpenAI to change how it interacts with users under 13, including blocking data collection from minors without parental consent.

Uthmeier named Altman personally because he said the CEO was “very central” to pushing features on ChatGPT that caused the most harm.

OpenAI’s Response

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment following the filing.

The company has previously denied wrongdoing in similar lawsuits. OpenAI says it trains its models to refuse requests that could enable violence and that it notifies law enforcement when conversations suggest a credible risk of harm.

The company also says mental health experts help assess borderline cases in its moderation process.

This lawsuit is not the only legal pressure OpenAI is facing. The family of a man killed in the Florida State University shooting has also sued the company, claiming ChatGPT helped the shooter plan the attack.

In April, families of victims from one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings filed lawsuits against OpenAI and Altman. They allege the company knew eight months before the attack that the shooter had been planning it through ChatGPT, but did not warn police.

AI companies are facing a growing number of lawsuits from individuals who claim chatbot interactions contributed to self-harm, mental illness, and violence.

Florida’s lawsuit is the first brought by a state government, which raises the legal stakes for OpenAI as it continues to expand ChatGPT’s reach.

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