Little Rock, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has filed a lawsuit against tech giant OpenAI, alleging the company misled the public about the safety of its popular artificial intelligence platform, ChatGPT.
The lawsuit, announced Wednesday, claims OpenAI violated state laws by presenting ChatGPT as a safe product while allegedly hiding known risks and limitations from consumers.
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“We’re in the midst of a technological revolution. Whether you call it artificial intelligence or super intelligence, the bottom line is that things are rapidly changing,” Griffin said in a statement regarding the filing. “But one thing that has not changed and will not change is Arkansans’ right to receive truthful information about the products and services they use.”
According to a news release from Griffin’s office, the complaint outlines instances where users were able to bypass OpenAI’s built-in safety measures to generate responses the company claimed its safeguards would prevent. Specifically, Griffin noted that consumers—including minors—have allegedly used the platform to acquire instructions for self-harm.
“OpenAI assures us that ChatGPT is safe. The consequences of that assurance are lives lost and people harmed,” he said.
The state’s lawsuit outlines three primary legal causes of action against the AI company:
- Deceptive Trade Practices: Alleged violations of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (ADTPA) for knowingly making false representations, omitting material facts, and utilizing deceptive practices in consumer interactions.
- Data Privacy of Minors: Alleged violations of the Children’s and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (CTOPPA). The suit claims OpenAI knowingly collected and retained the personal information of minors without providing proper notice or obtaining necessary consent.
- Common Law Claims: Allegations of negligence, strict liability for design defects and failure to warn, unjust enrichment, and creating a public nuisance.
Through the lawsuit, Griffin’s office is seeking a range of legal remedies and penalties. The state is asking for a formal declaration that OpenAI violated both the ADTPA and CTOPPA, alongside an injunction to stop the company from collecting data from minors.
Additionally, the state is demanding restitution for affected consumers, civil penalties, and a requirement that OpenAI provide clear disclosures regarding the risks associated with ChatGPT.
The lawsuit also seeks a broad injunction that would halt OpenAI from further advanced AI testing—specifically the creation of models capable of recursive self-improvement—until the company implements adequate safeguards.
Arkansas is part of a broader legal push against the tech company. Similar lawsuits against OpenAI were filed Wednesday by attorneys general in eight other states, including Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Utah, and West Virginia.
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