Florida Sues OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman Over Hidden ChatGPT Risks

Florida filed a landmark civil lawsuit Monday against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging the company knowingly concealed serious safety risks while aggressively marketing ChatGPT to millions of users, including children.

Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the suit at a news conference, calling it the first state-led legal action of its kind in the country. "OpenAI and Altman ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians," Uthmeier said.

The civil complaint, filed under Florida's prohibition on unfair and deceptive trade practices, alleges OpenAI prioritized speed to market and commercial gain over user safety. The company suppressed repeated warnings from experts both inside and outside the organization, the suit claims, and deployed a product that facilitates self-harm and violence while publicly assuring users it was safe. ChatGPT collects data from minors without meaningful parental oversight, causes behavioral addiction, and has led to measurable cognitive harm, the complaint alleges. OpenAI also actively downplayed dangerous errors in the system, officials said.

For Treasure Coast residents, this matters because ChatGPT and similar AI tools have become fixtures in Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River county schools, homes, and workplaces. Many parents have little awareness of what data the platform collects from their children or how the system shapes behavior over time. The lawsuit's outcome could force new disclosure requirements and parental consent standards that directly affect how Florida students interact with AI tools in and out of the classroom.

The suit names Altman personally alongside the company, an unusual step that signals the attorney general's intent to hold individual executives accountable for corporate safety decisions. OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment.

The filing follows a separate lawsuit accusing ChatGPT of assisting a gunman in planning a mass shooting at Florida State University, according to public records. That case has already drawn national scrutiny to AI liability questions in Florida courts.

No court date has been set. The complaint demands accountability and seeks relief for ongoing harm to Floridians under state consumer protection law.

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