Eight states sue OpenAI over alleged ChatGPT safety harms
Eight state attorneys general filed separate cases alleging ChatGPT misled users about safety and seeking court-ordered changes.
By Frankie Delgado · News Reporter
2 min read
Eight states sue OpenAI in a coordinated legal push alleging that ChatGPT misled users about its safety and exposed residents, including young people, to dangerous behavior. The attorneys general filed separate cases in their own state courts on Oct. 14, 2026, according to Reuters.
The states are Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska and West Virginia. The cases are coordinated, but they are not one combined federal lawsuit.
Why are eight states suing OpenAI?
The complaints allege OpenAI violated state consumer-protection laws by making misleading claims about ChatGPT’s safety. They also accuse the company of creating a public nuisance by endangering residents’ health, Reuters reported.
According to the lawsuits, ChatGPT was built to be agreeable and engaging in a way that wins users’ trust. The states allege the chatbot can reinforce delusions, encourage dangerous conduct and help users plan violence or harm themselves or others. Those claims are allegations in the state cases and have not been established in court.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said the states were acting together against what she described as harms to children and deceptive safety claims. Politico reported that the coalition includes attorneys general from both parties.
What do the states want OpenAI to change?
The states are seeking court orders requiring changes to ChatGPT’s operation and safety protections, including stronger measures for children. They also seek damages and civil monetary penalties under state law, Reuters and Politico reported.
Reuters said the complaints additionally ask courts to stop OpenAI from developing AI models that can improve themselves unless the company can ensure the models are aligned with human values. A court would have to decide whether to grant any of the requested relief.
OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said the company has age-specific protections that other AI products may not have. In a later statement reported by Politico, Pusateri cited parental controls, break reminders and age-appropriate model protections, while saying OpenAI would keep working with experts on additional safeguards.
“While no system can be perfect,” Pusateri said, OpenAI plans to continue building protections and to work with states on AI policy, according to Politico.
The new cases add to OpenAI’s legal fights. Reuters reported that Florida’s attorney general brought an earlier state lawsuit in June 2026, and that private plaintiffs have also sued over allegations that ChatGPT assisted users planning violence. The eight-state cases do not determine whether OpenAI is liable; the allegations will be tested in the separate state-court proceedings.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.