Florida sues OpenAI and Sam Altman over alleged AI safety harms
On Monday, June 1, 2026, Florida became the first U.S. state to file a lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman.
The 83-page civil complaint accuses the company of prioritizing commercial success over safety claiming they knowingly released a dangerous product while hiding serious risks from the public.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier stated:
“Today, we announced the first-in-the-nation state-led lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. OpenAI and Altman ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians.”
The lawsuit alleges that ChatGPT has contributed to severe harms including facilitating mass shootings encouraging self-harm and creating behavioral addiction in children.
It argues that the company’s “insatiable quest to win the AI arms race and amass large fortunes” led them to deceive parents and users about the chatbot’s safety.
Uthmeier emphasized the urgency of the legal action noting, “People are getting hurt, parents are getting deceived and they need to pay for it.”
Florida is seeking to hold both the company and Altman personally accountable for damages alleging violations of state laws regarding unfair and deceptive trade practices.