Texas AG Ken Paxton Takes Legal Action Against OpenAI
The lawsuit claims ChatGPT has caused multiple harms and seeks major restrictions on its use.
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, alleging that the company has deceived and harmed Texans through its artificial intelligence technology. The lawsuit, filed in Collin County district court, accuses OpenAI and its founder, Sam Altman, of failing to regulate ChatGPT adequately, resulting in various harms to the public.
According to the lawsuit, Paxton claims that ChatGPT has been involved in aiding mass shooters, encouraging vulnerable individuals to commit suicide, publicly humiliating professionals, diminishing users' critical thinking skills, and causing minors to become addicted to the AI tool. Paxton's office argues that these harms are driven by OpenAI's pursuit of success in the AI industry and financial gain, despite being aware of the potential dangers associated with ChatGPT.
The lawsuit seeks a broad injunction that would require OpenAI to block minors from accessing ChatGPT and mandate third-party approval for any new models by a court-appointed evaluator. This legal action is part of a series of lawsuits Paxton has filed against major tech companies, including Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and Roblox, under Texas's consumer protection laws.
Paxton's lawsuit is notable in the context of his political ambitions, as he is currently running for the U. S. Senate.
The lawsuit also highlights the competitive landscape in the AI industry, with Altman and ChatGPT being major competitors to Elon Musk. Musk, who supports Paxton's Senate campaign, has developed his own AI product, Grok, which has faced criticism for enabling the creation of "deepfake" pornography, including images of children. While no action has been taken against Musk in Texas, California's attorney general has initiated an investigation into Grok.
OpenAI has not yet responded to the lawsuit. Paxton's legal team for this case includes outside counsel Ashley Keller and Tony Buzbee, who represented Paxton during his 2023 impeachment proceedings.
This legal action is the latest in a series of high-profile cases initiated by Paxton against tech companies, reflecting his ongoing efforts to address what he perceives as insufficient protections for Texans, particularly minors, in the digital landscape.
Charges and allegations are not proof of guilt. Anyone charged is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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