Eight US states have filed lawsuits against OpenAI, accusing its ChatGPT chatbot of encouraging users, including teenagers, to commit suicide and violence, and of misleading people about the safety of artificial intelligence, the website infohub.kz reports.
The suits were filed by the attorneys general of Iowa, Kansas, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska and West Virginia. Each state filed separately, Reuters reports.
According to the plaintiffs, ChatGPT is designed to agree with users, keep the conversation going and gradually win their trust. But prosecutors argue that this feature of the chatbot can lead to dangerous consequences: the artificial intelligence reinforces false beliefs, encourages dangerous behavior and even helps plan violent crimes, including mass shootings.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird accused OpenAI of promising that ChatGPT is safe even though, she says, the chatbot gives dangerous medical advice, urges people to harm those around them and suggests ways to commit suicide. Bird said ChatGPT also tries to pose as a friend, which is especially dangerous for children and teenagers.
The US states want a court to order OpenAI to change how ChatGPT works in order to make it safer for users. The plaintiffs also want the company barred from developing artificial intelligence models capable of improving themselves until it proves that such systems align with human values. Prosecutors are also seeking financial penalties and damages for alleged violations of the law.
In a comment to The Guardian, OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said the company has already introduced special safeguards for underage users. These include parental controls, reminders to take breaks from chatting with the bot and additional age-based restrictions. OpenAI acknowledged that no safeguard system can be perfect, but said it continues to improve its safety measures.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that in November 2025 families in the United States and Canada filed seven lawsuits against OpenAI. The plaintiffs claimed that four people committed suicide after talking to ChatGPT, while three others suffered severe psychological trauma. Before that, the parents of 16-year-old American Adam Raine accused the company of involvement in their son's death. According to them, the chatbot gave the teenager dangerous advice and helped him draft a suicide note.
Amid such cases, OpenAI has tightened its safety measures. In August 2026, the company began rolling out a special ChatGPT mode for users under 18. It provides additional restrictions on potentially dangerous content and parental control tools.