OpenAI hit with multistate probe into possible user harm, days after filing for a highly anticipated IPO

OpenAI faces a multistate probe into user safety, receiving a subpoena from several state attorneys general over concerns that its ChatGPT chatbot may encourage self-harm and criminal acts. The investigation comes days after the company filed for a highly anticipated IPO, and follows lawsuits linking the chatbot to a teenager's suicide and shootings in Florida.

OpenAI received a subpoena from several states as part of a probe into the safety of users of its chatbot as it prepares to offer stock to the public for the first time. The company behind the popular chatbot, ChatGPT, said it will respond to the inquiry “constructively” and that it already has in place measures to protect its customers. “AI is a new and powerful technology, and we work every day to safely bring its benefits to people in a responsible way,” an emailed statement from a spokesperson said. “We take the concerns raised by state attorneys general seriously.” OpenAI has drawn criticism for ChatGPT allegedly offering encouraging words to users thinking of killing themselves or engaging criminal acts. It also has come under scrutiny for how its uses health data and other personal information of its customers. On Thursday, the company was sued by a Canadian blaming the chatbot for her daughter’s decision to hang herself. Earlier in June, the Florida attorney general sued the company https://apnews.com/article/sam-altman-openai-lawsuit-florida-396d70c5a2d9bae7e95a8ee9adaef836 after two separate shootings where alleged gunmen were reported to have asked ChatGPT questions while planning their crimes. OpenAI said in a statement that its models repeatedly encouraged the individuals to seek real-world support, including from mental health professionals. The company also said it has cooperated with law enforcement in both shooting cases. The new probe comes just a few days after it filed documents https://apnews.com/article/openai-ipo-chatgpt-c7583994426b1b097120786d6a0b8308 with U.S. security regulators for a highly anticipated initial public offering of stock. Artificial intelligence rival SpaceX celebrated its own IPO https://apnews.com/article/musk-spacex-tesla-ipo-trillionaire-billionaire-worth-rockets-7723f82b6063a9a17c194e25982cd66d on Friday. The rocket maker founded by Elon Musk also runs an AI business responsible for a rival chatbot called Grok. How governments should respond to the potential for good and possible dangerous of AI is becoming a big political issue. Regulators Europe opened investigations https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-x-grok-ai-deepfakes-sexual-c1a3039e5aaeb4dd517d995b8b301537 into Musk’s Grok over antisemitic content and sexualized material, include deepfake nudes https://apnews.com/article/grok-deepfakes-lawsuit-elon-musk-5fda06fb0694f036c483395f4d0e4fc3 . And another chatbot company preparing an IPO, Anthropic, was directed by the Trump administration Friday to shut down two of its online models https://apnews.com/article/anthropic-artificial-intelligence-trump-fable-mythos-d9cc7df5c02e93837d0f0bfb24d5cfd2 to users abroad for national security reasons. The OpenAI subpoena was earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal. The Associated Press sent emails to a dozen state attorneys general Saturday asking for details of the probe but has not received any responses. In its statement, OpenAI highlighted measures it has taken to keep children using its chatbot safe. “Today’s ChatGPT includes a more protective experience for minors and people experiencing difficult situations, with safeguards that direct them to real-world resources and trusted human contacts,” the statement read in part. “We believe kids should be treated like kids, which is why we built age prediction, released parental tools to guide their children’s use of AI, and disallowed advertising that targets kids.” Subscribe to Fortune Gulf Brief . Every Tuesday, this new newsletter delivers clear-eyed, authoritative intelligence on the deals, decisions, policies, and power shifts shaping one of the world’s most consequential regions, written for the people who need to act on it. Sign up here. https://fortune.com/newsletters/fortune-gulf-brief?&itm source=fortune&itm medium=nl article tout&itm campaign=gulf brief