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Florida Sues OpenAI and Sam Altman Over ChatGPT Child-Safety Allegations

The state seeks statutory fines after accusing OpenAI of hiding internal safety warnings, misleading the public about risks to children, and allowing dangerous ChatGPT outputs.

Overview

  • Florida filed a civil suit on Monday that names OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman and accuses the company of misrepresenting ChatGPT’s safety for minors.
  • The complaint says OpenAI kept internal safety warnings secret and prioritized commercial rollout over fixes that could protect young users.
  • It cites explicit harmful outputs, including an alleged recommendation of a lethal drug combination and claims that a shooter used ChatGPT for planning before a 2025 campus attack.
  • The attorney general is seeking statutory penalties of roughly $10,000 per violation and highlights the app’s lack of formal age verification despite rules banning under-13 users and requiring parental consent for teens.
  • OpenAI rejects legal liability and points to recent tools such as age-estimation and parental controls, while the case — the first state-level suit against OpenAI — could shape future state and federal oversight and affect how parents and schools manage AI use by children.