OpenAI lawsuit overview:
- Who: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against OpenAI Global LLC, CEO Sam Altman and related entities.
- Why: Uthmeier claims ChatGPT is unsafe for minors, encourages harmful behavior and was deceptively marketed as safe.
- Where: The OpenAI lawsuit was filed in Florida state court.
- How to get help: Did you rely on an artificial intelligence (AI) for advice or information and later sustain physical or emotional harm? You may qualify to join an AI lawsuit.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging ChatGPT encourages violence, harms children and was deceptively marketed as safe for public use.
According to the lawsuit, OpenAI and Altman misled consumers and parents about the risks associated with ChatGPT while continuing to develop and promote features that allegedly pose dangers to minors.
The lawsuit follows a criminal investigation launched by the Florida Attorney General’s Office in April 2026 concerning OpenAI’s alleged role in facilitating a deadly mass shooting at Florida State University in April 2025.
“We recently filed a monumental civil lawsuit against Sam Altman and ChatGPT for endangering our kids and deceiving parents,” Uthmeier said as quoted by Law360.
The OpenAI lawsuit brings claims for gross negligence, public nuisance, strict liability and violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
According to the complaint, ChatGPT’s design allegedly encourages emotional dependence by acting as a friend or confidant to users. The state argues these features are particularly harmful to adolescents because of their developing critical thinking and emotional regulation skills.
The lawsuit cites the case of 16-year-old Adam Raine, a California teenager who died by suicide in April 2025. Florida alleges ChatGPT provided information that encouraged or assisted the teen’s actions.
The lawsuit also references the April 2025 shooting at Florida State University. According to Uthmeier, alleged gunman Phoenix Ikner used ChatGPT to obtain information related to operating a firearm, identifying heavily populated areas of campus and determining how many people he would need to kill to gain notoriety.
Florida alleges OpenAI prioritized profit over safety
The State of Florida claims OpenAI placed profit and product growth ahead of user safety while developing newer versions of ChatGPT.
According to the OpenAI lawsuit, Altman personally approved features that the state alleges contributed to harmful interactions involving minors. The complaint further claims the company released products without adequate safeguards in an effort to compete in the rapidly growing artificial intelligence market.
Florida also points to events in November 2023, when OpenAI’s board briefly removed Altman as chief executive officer before reinstating him days later.
Uthmeier is seeking to hold Altman personally liable, arguing he engaged in a pattern of conduct that prioritized growth and revenue over user protection.
OpenAI disputes the allegations. In a statement sent to Law360, the company said it has implemented safeguards designed to protect younger users, including age-detection tools, default protections for unidentified users and parental oversight features.
The company also expressed sympathy for families affected by tragic incidents and stated it remains committed to improving safety measures.
Meanwhile, OpenAI is facing a class action lawsuit alleging it disclosed ChatGPT user queries to Meta and Google without users’ knowledge or consent.
What do you think about Florida’s claims against OpenAI and ChatGPT? Let us know in the comments.
The state is represented by James Uthmeier, Ryan D. Newman, Jason Hilborn, Diane K. Oates, Victoria Ann Butler and Cristina Hernandez Villar of the Florida Office of the Attorney General and Ashley Keller, Jessica Beringer and Alex Dravillas of Keller Postman LLC.
The OpenAI lawsuit is Attorney General of the State of Florida v. OpenAI Global LLC, et al., Case No. 2026-CA-000295, in the 10th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.
Don’t Miss Out!
Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
- Subaru class action claims collision avoidance, mitigation systems are defective
- Judge approves $100M settlement over Hawaiian Electric’s alleged role in Maui wildfire
- Smucker class action claims sugar-free hot fudge topping mislabeled
- Class action claims Sherwin-Williams coatings manufacturing plant emits noxious odors
