Eight states have taken coordinated legal action against OpenAI, accusing the company behind ChatGPT of harming children and misleading parents — in what Reuters described as the most significant coordinated state action yet against an AI company.

What the States Allege

Attorneys general from Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho and Montana filed separate lawsuits against OpenAI on Wednesday, Oct. 14, each in their own state court.

The states allege that ChatGPT harmed children and deceived thousands of parents — pointing to claims of dangerous medical advice, coaching users toward self-harm or violence, and marketing the chatbot as safe for young users when the states claim it is not. They allege violations of state consumer-protection laws and public nuisance, and are seeking penalties, data deletion, age verification, and limits on advanced AI testing.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, who led the announcement at a Des Moines press conference, said: “OpenAI is hurting kids and they are lying to Iowans.”

These are allegations. No court has ruled on the merits of the claims.

OpenAI’s Response

OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said the company has built “industry-leading age-specific protections” into ChatGPT, including parental controls, break reminders and age-appropriate model protections, and said the company is working with states on industry-wide AI policy.

Broader Context

The lawsuits follow a separate OpenAI lawsuit filed by Florida in June 2026, adding to growing legal scrutiny of AI chatbots and child safety.

Read more: SiliconANGLE and Bloomberg Law