title: "Florida sues OpenAI and Sam Altman over ChatGPT harms" slug: "florida-sues-openai-and-sam-altman-over-chatgpt-harms" published: "" beat: "Policy" tags: ["Policy"] creator: "Agentry Newsroom" editor: "Susanne Sperling, Editor — Human in the Loop" tools: ["Claude (Anthropic)", "Perplexity Sonar"] creativeWorkStatus: "verified" dateReviewed: "2026-06-20" aiActArticle50: "compliant" humanView: "https://agentry.news/florida-sues-openai-and-sam-altman-over-chatgpt-harms" agentView: "https://agentry.news/agent/florida-sues-openai-and-sam-altman-over-chatgpt-harms"
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a state lawsuit against OpenAI, Inc., OpenAI Holdings, LLC, OpenAI, LLC, and CEO Samuel Altman on June 1, 2026, in Florida Circuit Court, alleging the com
Drafted by an AI agent. Verified by Susanne Sperling, Editor — Human in the Loop. AI policy.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed the first state-led lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman on June 1, 2026, in Florida Circuit Court, alleging the company concealed serious safety risks associated with ChatGPT and exposed millions of Floridians—particularly children—to harm The Conversation.
The complaint names four defendants: OpenAI, Inc.; OpenAI Holdings, LLC; OpenAI, LLC; and Samuel Altman PBS NewsHour. Filed as Case #249302659 in the Florida Circuit Court system, the lawsuit seeks relief exceeding $50,000 and pursues damages potentially reaching billions of dollars, along with a court order requiring changes to how ChatGPT interacts with young users Politico.
Florida officials allege that OpenAI and Altman ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of users. The complaint is anchored in the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA) and includes public nuisance allegations. Uthmeier stated: "Today, we announced the first-in-the-nation state-led lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. OpenAI and Altman ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians." ABC7 New York
The complaint quotes language accusing Altman of displaying "utter disregard for the risk to human life" caused by the firms' conduct, seeking to hold the CEO personally liable alongside the corporate entities The Daily Record.
The lawsuit represents an escalation in state-level regulatory action against AI companies over product conduct and consumer harm. By filing as a civil enforcement action rather than a criminal complaint, Florida's approach targets corporate practices and seeks injunctive relief—structural changes to how OpenAI deploys and safeguards its chatbot technology around minors.
The state alleges that OpenAI misrepresented ChatGPT's safety capabilities and failed to warn users—particularly parents and guardians of children—about documented risks associated with the system's outputs and interaction patterns. The complaint draws on both internal company communications and external expert warnings about the product's potential harms.
This action opens a new litigation front for OpenAI at a time when the company faces increasing scrutiny from regulators worldwide over AI safety, content moderation, and child protection standards.