Attorneys general warn OpenAI ‘harm to children will not be tolerated’

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings met with and sent an open letter to OpenAI to express their concerns over the safety of ChatGPT, particularly for children and teens. 

The warning comes a week after Bonta and 44 other attorneys general sent a letter to 12 of the top AI companies, following reports of sexually inappropriate interactions between AI chatbots and children. 

“Since the issuance of that letter, we learned of the heartbreaking death by suicide of one young Californian after he had prolonged interactions with an OpenAI chatbot, as well as a similarly disturbing murder-suicide in Connecticut,” Bonta and Jennings write. “Whatever safeguards were in place did not work.”

The two state officials are currently investigating OpenAI’s proposed restructuring into a for-profit entity to ensure that the mission of the nonprofit remains intact. That mission “includes ensuring that artificial intelligence is deployed safely” and building artificial general intelligence (AGI) to benefit all humanity, “including children,” per the letter. 

“Before we get to benefiting, we need to ensure that adequate safety measures are in place to not harm,” the letter continues. “It is our shared view that OpenAI and the industry at large are not where they need to be in ensuring safety in AI products’ development and deployment. As Attorneys General, public safety is one of our core missions. As we continue our dialogue related to OpenAI’s recapitalization plan, we must work to accelerate and amplify safety as a governing force in the future of this powerful technology.”

Bonta and Jennings have asked for more information about OpenAI’s current safety precautions and governance, and said they expect the company to take immediate remedial measures where appropriate.

Bret Taylor, chair of the OpenAI board, said in a statement that the company is committed to addressing the attorneys general’s concerns.

“We are heartbroken by these tragedies and our deepest sympathies are with the families,” Taylor said. “Safety is our highest priority and we’re working closely with policymakers around the world.”

OpenAI has said it’s working to expand protections for teens with parental controls and the ability for parents to be notified when their child is in a moment of acute distress.

This article has been updated with a comment from OpenAI.