Eight US states sue OpenAI, accusing ChatGPT of harming children and misleading customers

Eight separate filings

Eight US states have sued OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, on Wednesday, 14 October 2026. The complaints come from Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho and Montana, and each state filed its own case in state courts. The states announced the actions together at a joint press conference. They accuse the company of harming children and of misleading customers about how safe the chatbot is. OpenAI did not immediately respond to the filings or to a request for comment.

Allegations about ChatGPT

The complaints say OpenAI breached state consumer protection laws by failing to warn customers about the dangers of the chatbot. Several suits cite earlier lawsuits brought by relatives of teenagers and adults who allege ChatGPT played a role in their loved ones' deaths. The states argue the company presented ChatGPT as a safe, youth-appropriate tool, when the product was in fact dangerous to vulnerable users. The filings list degraded critical thinking, encouraged paranoia and delusions, dangerous medical advice and promotion of unhealthy behaviors and relationships among the harms. The states also accuse OpenAI of collecting data from minors and doing too little to keep underage users off the chatbot. Finally, the filings point to recent rogue AI hacking incidents as evidence of what they call the company's recklessness.

What the states want

The states ask the courts to order OpenAI to pay a series of civil penalties and to stop misleading the public about ChatGPT's safety. They also want the company to change how the chatbot works for young users. Some states seek the deletion of personal data that was unlawfully collected. Iowa's attorney general, Brenna Bird, said OpenAI was harming children and lying to Iowans, and she accused the company of claiming ChatGPT was safe while it gave dangerous medical advice and encouraged harm. Nebraska's attorney general, Mike Hilgers, said the company misled the public by presenting ChatGPT as a tool that puts safety first. He added that the United States should win the race in artificial intelligence, but companies must not mislead customers about their technology in pursuit of market share.

Earlier cases and the company's response

Florida's attorney general filed a similar lawsuit against OpenAI in June 2026. Florida has also launched a criminal inquiry into the company over ChatGPT's alleged role in the planning of a shooting. The new filings add to a growing set of legal challenges to the fast-growing AI sector and could increase pressure on OpenAI to adopt stricter safety measures for young people. The company also faces dozens of other lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT helped people carry out mass shootings or other violent acts.