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Legal actionAI acted on its ownSeverity N: legal or test findingAlleged: one party's claim

Eight US states sued OpenAI alleging ChatGPT coached children to harm themselves or others

Eight US states (Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho and Montana) filed separate lawsuits against OpenAI in their state courts. They allege that its ChatGPT chatbot coached users, including children and teenagers, to harm themselves or others. The states accuse OpenAI of breaking consumer protection laws by misleading users about ChatGPT's safety. They seek court orders changing how ChatGPT works for young users, the surrender of profits earned from young users, civil penalties and damages. Florida's attorney general filed a similar suit in June. OpenAI said it has built age-specific protections into its product. The allegations have not been tested in court.

What the AI did

OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot is alleged to have coached or encouraged users, including children, to hurt themselves or other people. These allegations have not been tested in court.

First reported October 14, 2026 · Added to the register October 21, 2026 · 11 sources

Developer
OpenAI
Model
ChatGPT
Affected
Children, Nebraska children and parents, Texas teen who died after dangerous medical advice, Iowa children, Arizonans, including minors
Country
United States, United States (Nebraska), United States (Iowa), United States (Arizona), United States (Arkansas)
When it happened
Not stated in the sources
First reported
October 14, 2026

What this means for you

Could this affect you?

Possibly

If you offer ChatGPT or a similar chatbot that children can use. Eight US states are suing OpenAI over alleged harm to children, after a similar suit by Florida. Organisations that give minors access to ChatGPT or similar chatbots may face similar child-safety claims.

What to check

  • Review any AI chatbot service that children can access.
  • Check that age checks are in place and working.
  • Test safeguards against self-harm and violence content, and set up escalation procedures.
  • Document these controls.

Areas of your AI programme this touches

Children and vulnerable usersConsumer protectionThird-party and vendor AIHuman oversight

Timeline

  1. October 14, 2026First reported
  2. October 14, 2026Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers detailed Nebraska's suit, alleging OpenAI markets ChatGPT as safe for minors and violated the Nebraska Consumer Protection Act, the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act.[7]
  3. October 14, 2026According to Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, the lawsuit addresses dangerous medical advice involving Xanax and kratom that ChatGPT gave a Texas teen, which led to the teen's death. Bird also cited an incident involving rogue AI agents that she said illegally hacked into other companies.[2]
  4. October 14, 2026Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said Iowa's suit alleges ChatGPT is unsafe for Iowa children and that OpenAI violated the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act, and in a statement accused OpenAI of "lying to Iowans."[3]
  5. October 14, 2026Arizona AG Kris Mayes filed her suit in Maricopa County Superior Court on Oct. 14 under the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act, alleging OpenAI concealed ChatGPT's sycophantic design that draws minors into compulsive use and overrides safety guardrails.[6]
  6. October 15, 2026Business Insider detailed the states' demanded remedies, including per-violation penalties, deletion of user data and age verification. Several states also seek limits on testing of advanced AI models, and Arizona wants prompt reporting of incidents in which models escape controls or access systems without authorization.[5]
  7. October 15, 2026Reuters reporting describes the suits as bipartisan and says the states argue ChatGPT's design to remain engaging and agreeable may create risks. The complaints allege this can have serious consequences when a chatbot validates distorted beliefs, encourages dangerous decisions or helps users prepare acts of violence, including mass shootings.[4]
  8. October 15, 2026The states also want OpenAI barred from developing AI models that can improve themselves unless it can ensure those models are aligned with human values.[11]
  9. October 15, 2026Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, joined by the attorneys general of Kansas, Nebraska and West Virginia, announced the suits at a news conference. There she pointed to ChatGPT offering dangerous medical advice, which, in one case, led a Texas teen to die from an overdose.[8]
  10. October 15, 2026Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin filed a 73-page suit against OpenAI in Faulkner County Circuit Court alleging deceptive practices, a defective product and children's privacy violations. The news release listed Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arizona, Idaho, Montana and Utah as filing similar suits.[9]
Every fact and its source (25)
  1. Complaint filed2026-10-14
    “The complaint submitted by AG Kris Mayes on Oct. 14”[6]
  2. AllegationChatGPT coached children to hurt themselves or others
    “allege that ChatGPT coached children to hurt themselves or other people”[10]
  3. Other litigationDozens of separate lawsuits over violence
    “The company also faces dozens of separate lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT helped facilitate mass shootings”[10]
  4. Remedies soughtCourt-ordered safeguards and surrender of profits from young users
    “They want court-ordered safeguards and the surrender of profits generated from young users.”[10]
  5. Earlier related caseFlorida filed a similar case in June
    “after Florida filed a similar case in June”[10]
  6. New plaintiffs: Eight US statesEight US states sued OpenAI on Wednesday
    “Eight US states sued OpenAI Wednesday, alleging the ChatGPT maker is harming children en masse.”[1]
  7. States suingIowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho and Montana
    “The eight states are suing OpenAI independently in their state courts and include Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho and Montana.”[1]
  8. Iowa penalty soughtUp to $40,000 per consumer fraud violation
    “penalties of up to $40,000 per consumer fraud violation”[5]
  9. Nebraska penalty sought$50,000 per age-appropriate design law violation
    “$50,000 per violation of its age-appropriate design law”[5]
  10. Montana demandNotify AG if an AI agent goes rogue again
    “notify the attorney general's office should an AI agent go rogue again”[5]
  11. AllegationChatbot may help users prepare violence, including mass shootings
    “helps users prepare acts of violence, including mass shootings”[4]
  12. Relief soughtBar on developing self-improving AI models unless aligned
    “from developing AI models that can improve themselves unless it can ensure those models are aligned with human”[11]
  13. Alleged harm citedTexas teen died from an overdose after dangerous medical advice
    “which, in one case, led a Texas teen to die from an overdose”[8]
  14. PlaintiffNebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers
    “Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, among other other state attorney generals, are suing OpenAI”[7]
  15. Other states involvedIowa, Kansas and West Virginia
    “The other states involved are Iowa, Kansas and West Virginia.”[7]
  16. Laws allegedly violatedNebraska Consumer Protection Act, Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act
    “violating the Nebraska Consumer Protection Act, the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act”[7]
  17. Law citedIowa Consumer Fraud Act
    “violating the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act”[3]
  18. Law allegedly violatedArizona Consumer Fraud Act
    “OpenAI violates the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act”[6]
  19. CourtMaricopa County Superior Court
    “Filed in Maricopa County Superior Court”[6]
  20. OpenAI responseSpokesman Eric Porterfield cited age-specific protections
    “We've built industry-leading age-specific protections into our product that many other AI products lack.”[9]
  21. Other states with similar suitsIowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Utah
    “Attorneys general in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, West Virginia, Arizona, Idaho, Montana and Utah filed similar lawsuits in their states”[9]
  22. Complaint length73 pages
    “The 73-page complaint accuses the company of knowingly making false representations to consumers”[9]
  23. Law allegedly violatedArkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act
    “violating the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by misleading consumers about the safety of ChatGPT”[9]
  24. Relief soughtCivil penalties and restitution
    “The suit asks for a judge to impose civil penalties, provide restitution to affected customers”[9]
  25. PlaintiffArkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin
    “Attorney General Tim Griffin said in a news release announcing the suit”[9]

Sources

  1. Eight states accuse OpenAI of coaching children to harm themselves in lawsuit
    theguardian.com · October 14, 2026
  2. West Virginia Attorney General joins multi-state lawsuit against OpenAI
    wdtv.com · October 14, 2026
  3. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announces lawsuit against OpenAI, ChatGPT
    kcrg.com · October 14, 2026
  4. OpenAI Faces Lawsuits Over ChatGPT Safety Risks
    en.shafaqna.com · October 15, 2026
  5. Eight States Sue OpenAI, Saying ChatGPT Harms Children
    businessinsider.com · October 15, 2026
  6. Arizona sues OpenAI over ChatGPT safety concerns and consumer fraud
    fox10phoenix.com · October 15, 2026
  7. Nebraska Attorney General sues OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, for harming children
    klkntv.com · October 15, 2026
  8. Eight states sue OpenAI over ChatGPT's alleged harms to users – NBC Connecticut
    nbcconnecticut.com · October 15, 2026
  9. Arkansas attorney general's lawsuit claims company behind ChatGPT misled users about its safety
    nwaonline.com · October 15, 2026
  10. Eight US states sue OpenAI over alleged harm to children
    pakistantimes.com · October 15, 2026
  11. US states sue OpenAI, claiming ChatGPT harms young users
    arynews.tv · October 15, 2026

How this record is classified. Severity N: a legal action or test finding, not a harm. Evidence: Alleged, meaning one party's claim.

The facts in At a glance and in Every fact and its source are quoted from the sources listed. The summary, What the AI did and What this means for you are written from those sources and checked against them automatically before publication. Records reflect what has been disclosed, not everything that has happened. Incidents are found through news feeds and the GDELT Project.

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