Florida seeks to bar OpenAI from new model development
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a motion on September 28, 2026, asking a state court to temporarily bar OpenAI from developing new artificial-intelligence models without independent outside safety oversight, according to Reuters. The motion also seeks to prohibit OpenAI from offering ChatGPT to minors and from assigning "human attributes" to the chatbot.
Lawsuit Allegations and Context
Florida filed the underlying lawsuit against OpenAI in June 2026. The state alleges that OpenAI misrepresented ChatGPT's safety and that the service harmed children by providing information to school shooters, offering guidance related to self-harm, and encouraging addictive use, according to U.S. News.
In his filing, Uthmeier stated: "No new model development without independent safety guardrails; no more harvesting children's data; no more calling this product safe, accurate, or reliable; no more pretending it's human; no more tricks designed to keep users talking past the point of danger," according to The Independent.
OpenAI's Response
OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said the company had paused training its most capable models and would not resume until additional safeguards were in place, according to Reuters. This statement suggests OpenAI has already taken unilateral action to restrict its own development pipeline ahead of any court order.
Regulatory Landscape
The motion represents one of the most aggressive state-level regulatory actions against a major AI company to date. The specific court, county, case number, and any dollar amounts sought have not been disclosed in available filings. No ruling on the injunction request has yet been announced as of October 12, 2026.
The case joins a growing body of litigation and regulatory scrutiny focused on AI systems' impact on minors, particularly around data privacy, psychological harm, and content moderation. The outcome could set precedent for how courts balance AI innovation against child safety protections.