Eight US states have joined forces to sue OpenAI, accusing the company of failing to protect children and misleading the public about the potential dangers of ChatGPT. The complaints allege that OpenAI put profits before safety, exposing users to risks that range from degraded critical thinking to dangerous medical advice.

“OpenAI has devolved from its original mission as a public-first nonprofit that prioritized safety into a cautionary tale about what can happen when the development of a tool as powerful as AI is driven not by safety, but by a profit-at-all-costs mindset that sidelines essential safeguards,” Arizona’s lawsuit claims.

The states argue that OpenAI’s chatbot has a range of harmful effects, from degrading critical thinking skills to promoting unhealthy behaviors and relationships. They also accuse the company of collecting data from minors without proper safeguards.

In response, OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri stated that the company had built “industry-leading age-specific protections” into ChatGPT and that they were committed to working with states to develop pragmatic AI policies.

“This case highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing innovation with ethical considerations in the field of AI,” says the Verge. “As AI becomes more integrated into our daily lives, questions of safety and responsibility will only become more pressing.”