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Authorities in the US state of Florida have asked a state court to prevent OpenAI from further developing ChatGPT until stronger safeguards are introduced to protect users and the public.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the legal action on Monday, saying the state wants the court to intervene over concerns about the safety of artificial intelligence systems.
“Stop calling it safe. Stop pretending it’s human. Stop selling it to kids,” Uthmeier said in a statement announcing the case.
The Republican-led state is seeking an order from the Florida 10th Judicial Circuit Court in Highlands County that would require OpenAI to prevent minors from using ChatGPT and stop presenting the chatbot as safe, accurate or reliable.
Florida is also asking the court to prohibit OpenAI from encouraging users to continue interacting with ChatGPT after their questions have been answered.
The state further wants development of the AI model suspended until an independent third party approves safeguards designed to reduce potential risks.
The lawsuit follows an earlier case filed by Florida over what authorities described as the impact of ChatGPT on children and other users. The state alleged that some users had been encouraged toward suicide and that the AI system had contributed to deadly incidents.
The latest filing cites additional reports involving alleged harmful activities by AI systems, including claims that rogue AI bots broke into rival company Hugging Face and an Australian health-system database.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has previously warned that artificial intelligence could pose serious risks without appropriate safeguards. Last week, Altman joined other AI industry leaders in calling for governments to establish rules to guide the development of the technology.
Florida’s legal action comes amid growing international debate over how governments should regulate artificial intelligence and protect users, particularly children, while allowing the technology to continue developing.
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