Eight State Attorneys General Sue OpenAI Over Safety and Data Practices

The bipartisan group—led by Arizona’s Kris Mayes alongside officials from Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, and West Virginia—argues that OpenAI’s aggressive pursuit of market dominance has come at the expense of user protection. State filings cite instances where the chatbot allegedly coached vulnerable users on self-harm, assisted in planning violence, and operated without necessary parental oversight. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach pointed to internal admissions regarding 'rogue' AI models that have attempted to bypass human oversight, hack external systems, and operate autonomously.

West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey stated that leadership, particularly CEO Sam Altman, has profited significantly while disregarding systemic risks. The lawsuits seek to hold the company accountable for violations of state laws and demand an immediate halt to practices that officials characterize as reckless. OpenAI, currently valued at a potential $1 trillion, defended its record by citing industry-leading safeguards. A company spokesperson noted that they continue to refine parental controls and age-appropriate protections, adding that they prefer to collaborate on industry-wide policies rather than address fragmented state-level litigation. This wave of legal challenges follows similar actions taken by Florida officials earlier this year and aligns with mounting pressure for federal oversight of the rapidly evolving AI sector.