It is the first such action against OpenAI and Altman by a state, and follows a slew of recent product liability lawsuits against Big Tech companies.
“I hope and expect other states will follow and ultimately we need [AI companies] to change their programming,” Uthmeier said Monday during a press conference announcing the lawsuit in West Palm Beach. The attorney general highlighted a 2025 mass shooting that was allegedly committed with the assistance of ChatGPT, saying prosecutors believed that they could have brought additional conspiracy charges if the perpetrators’ conversations with the AI program had instead involved another person.
A wave of cases leveling various claims against social media companies are going to trial this year, including allegations that their platforms cause mental health problems for young users like addiction and body dysmorphia. A New Mexico jury imposed a $375 million penalty on Meta in March, and a Los Angeles jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay $3 million soon after.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company has previously denied wrongdoing and said it continues to strengthen safeguards.
This civil action is separate from a criminal investigation that Uthmeier opened into OpenAI in March after ChatGPT allegedly offered advice to the suspected gunman in a mass shooting at Florida State University that resulted in two deaths.
In going after OpenAI with a civil lawsuit, Uthmeier, who has been a fierce critic of the booming technology, contends Altman and his company are putting the “AI race over the safety and security of our kids.”
“People are getting hurt; parents are getting deceived and they need to pay for it,” Uthmeier said Monday. “They need to pay for it by opening up their checkbook and changing the program to ensure there are parental controls and we are not endangering our kids.”