Texas has become the latest US state to take OpenAI to court. Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the ChatGPT maker and its chief executive, Sam Altman, in a Collin County district court, alleging the company deceived and harmed Texans, The Texas Tribune reports. Among other things, the state is asking a judge to block minors from using ChatGPT.
What Texas is alleging
The core claim is that OpenAI has not done enough to control how ChatGPT behaves, and that people in Texas have been hurt as a result. In a press release, Paxton’s office listed a wide range of alleged harms, including:
- people being helped in carrying out mass shootings
- vulnerable users being encouraged toward suicide
- professionals being publicly embarrassed
- people losing critical thinking skills
- minors becoming addicted to the chatbot
The release also said ChatGPT “fakes human compassion to collect their data with no parental oversight,” and claimed the company pushed ahead to win the AI race “despite knowing the dangers of ChatGPT.” These are allegations made by the state. A court has not ruled on any of them.
The complaint even opens with a 2015 quote from Altman: “AI will probably most likely lead to the end of the world, but in the meantime, there’ll be great companies.”
What the state wants a judge to order
Texas is asking for a broad injunction, which is a court order telling a company to do or stop doing something. According to the Tribune, the requests include cutting off minors’ access to ChatGPT and requiring that new OpenAI models be approved by an independent evaluator appointed by the court before release, along with other restrictions.
OpenAI said it has worked with experts to reduce risks and add safeguards. A spokesperson said “governments have an important role to play in setting robust safety standards for AI,” and that the company wants to work with Texas and other states on rules that apply to the whole AI industry rather than a single company.
Part of a growing wave
Texas is not alone. Earlier this month, Arizona’s attorney general filed a consumer fraud lawsuit alleging ChatGPT was designed to keep minors hooked and imitates human empathy to keep them engaged, AZFamily reported. Other states have brought similar cases this year. OpenAI told AZFamily it has built “industry-leading age-specific protections” and that “no system can be perfect.”
Politics is also part of the backdrop. Paxton is running for the US Senate, and the Tribune notes that Elon Musk, who co-founded OpenAI and later fell out with Altman, is the biggest single donor to his campaign. Over the past year Paxton has also sued or settled with Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and Roblox over child safety.
What it means for you
Nothing changes for ChatGPT users in Texas today. These cases usually take months or years, and a judge would have to agree before any ban on minors took effect. But the growing number of state lawsuits makes it more likely that AI chatbots will face stricter age checks and safety rules.
If you are a parent, do not wait for the courts. Check whether your child uses ChatGPT or other chatbots, turn on the parental controls these apps offer, and talk with your kids about not treating a chatbot as a counsellor or best friend. If a teen seems to be leaning on a chatbot for emotional support, that is a signal to step in and connect them with real people.
Sources
- Ken Paxton sues ChatGPT-maker OpenAI — The Texas Tribune
- Arizona AG sues OpenAI, alleges ChatGPT harms children, deceives parents — AZFamily