Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sues OpenAI, accuses the company of putting growth ahead of user safety
Tallahassee, Florida – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed what his office describes as the first state-led lawsuit in the nation against OpenAI and its Chief Executive Officer, Sam Altman, accusing the company of deceptive practices and of exposing Floridians, including children, to serious harm.
The lawsuit centers on allegations that OpenAI pushed ChatGPT into the hands of the public while hiding what state officials say were known dangers. According to the civil complaint, the company released and heavily promoted the chatbot despite internal and external safety warnings. The complaint alleges OpenAI and Altman chose speed, market reach, and commercial growth over meaningful protections for users.
“Today, we announced the first-in-the-nation state-led lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier.
“OpenAI and Altman ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians.”
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The filing claims ChatGPT was marketed as safe while, at the same time, the product allegedly created risks tied to self-harm, violence, behavioral addiction, cognitive harm, and dangerous errors. State officials also allege the chatbot collects data from minors without meaningful parental oversight and that OpenAI downplayed the seriousness of mistakes or harmful responses produced by the system.
The case arrives as public concern continues to grow over how artificial intelligence tools are used by children and teenagers. Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Mike Duffey said families now face a different kind of online risk than they did in the past.
“Today’s AI companies have largely assisted with the evolution of the digital playground. Protecting our children means teaching them to navigate not just the real people behind the screens, but the artificial minds engineered to mimic them,” said FDLE Special Agent in Charge Mike Duffey.
“Parental vigilance must shift from simply monitoring who our children talk to, to ensuring they understand what they are talking to—because a machine programmed to please can never replace the safety of human boundaries.”
Florida officials say the conduct outlined in the complaint violates state laws against unfair and defective trade practices. Through the lawsuit, the state is seeking damages on behalf of Floridians and wants the court to stop the practices described in the complaint.
The civil action also follows a separate criminal investigation launched last month by the Office of Statewide Prosecution. That investigation began after prosecutors reviewed chat logs between ChatGPT and Phoenix Ikner, the gunman who opened fire at Florida State University on April 17, 2025, killing two people and injuring several others.
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That criminal investigation remains ongoing, while the civil complaint has been filed in the Tenth Judicial Circuit of Florida.
