Coalition of State Attorneys General Opens Investigation Into OpenAI Over Consumer Safety and Data Practices

A coalition of U.S. state attorneys general has launched an investigation into OpenAI, serving the company with a subpoena through New York’s attorney general seeking documents covering advertising practices, user engagement and retention, model sycophancy, consumer and health data handling, and the treatment of minors and seniors.

OpenAI said it intended to engage constructively with the investigation, noting that its current ChatGPT platform includes protective features for minors and vulnerable users, alongside parental controls and age prediction tools.

The investigation adds to a growing pile of legal pressure on the company. Florida attorney general James Uthmeierrecently sued OpenAI and chief executive Sam Altman over alleged harm to children, while separate lawsuits allege copyright infringement and ChatGPT’s role in user suicides. The scrutiny arrives as OpenAI has filed confidentially for an IPO.