According to reports, a coalition of state attorneys general has launched an investigation into OpenAI.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the company was served with a subpoena by the New York State Attorney General on Friday. The subpoena sought documents related to a wide range of topics, including the company’s advertising, user engagement and retention, role models, handling of consumer and health data, and treatment of minors and the elderly.
TechCrunch has reached out to OpenAI and the New York State Attorney General’s Office for confirmation. A company spokesperson told the Journal that OpenAI is cooperating with the investigation.
“AI is a new and powerful technology, and we work every day to bring its benefits to people responsibly and safely,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “We take seriously the concerns raised by the state attorney general and intend to engage constructively with the attorney general.”
According to Bloomberg, the spokesperson also said that ChatGPT “includes experiences that are more protective of minors and people facing difficult situations, with built-in safeguards that direct them to real-world resources and trusted relationships.” The company declined to identify which states are involved in the investigation or share details of the requested information.
OpenAI recently defeated co-founder Elon Musk in a high-profile court case after he accused the company of violating its founding agreement. (Musk’s lead lawyer said he plans to appeal the decision.)
However, OpenAI still faces lawsuits over everything from alleged copyright infringement to allegations that ChatGPT was involved in a suicide. Earlier this month, Florida Attorney General James Usmeyer sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging that OpenAI and Altman “ignored internal and external safety warnings, exposed children to great risk, and allowed dangerous products to reach millions of Floridians.”
Mr. Altman recently apologized to the Tumbler Ridge community in Canada following the shooting. He admitted that he failed to alert law enforcement after OpenAI flagged and banned the shooter suspect’s ChatGPT account.
The company announced this week that it had privately filed to go public.
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