OpenAI is facing increased scrutiny in the United States as a coalition of state attorneys general investigates the potential impact of ChatGPT on children, teenagers, and other vulnerable users.
According to a report by Business Insider, New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a subpoena to OpenAI on Friday, seeking information about the company's user engagement practices, data handling policies, AI models, and interactions involving both younger and older users. The request reportedly includes documents related to consumer and health data, as well as how OpenAI measures user retention and platform usage.
In response, OpenAI said it is cooperating with the inquiry and emphasized that it has introduced stronger protections for users who may be at risk.
"In today's time ChatGPT has added enhanced safeguards for minors and individuals who are facing difficult situations," an OpenAI spokesperson said. "The system is created to direct users toward trusted human support and real-world resources when appropriate. Measures cannot change what some families have experienced, we remain committed to learning from those situations and improving our products."
The investigation has arrived amid a growing number of legal challenges that are directly involved on ChatGPT. Some cases allege that interactions with the chatbot have later made people suicide, raising broader questions about the responsibilities of AI companies when dealing with users in distress.
Earlier, OpenAI had mentioned that ChatGPT shouldn’t be considered as a direct backup for professional medical or mental health care. The company continues to refine how the chatbot responds in sensitive situations with guidance from mental health experts.
OpenAI is also facing legal action connected to the fatal shooting at Florida State University in April. The family of one victim claims that ChatGPT's safety systems failed to identify warning signs in conversations allegedly linked to the shooter.
Separately, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the company of allowing ChatGPT to "aid and abet deadly rampages" and encourage vulnerable individuals toward self-harm. The lawsuit further claims that some users have developed unhealthy dependencies on the chatbot, describing it as a technology that can mimic human empathy while collecting user data without sufficient parental oversight.
The mirrors previous investigations into social media platforms such as TikTok, which have faced major scrutiny over problems related to youth engagement, addiction, and poor mental health.
Since the popularity of AI tools among users are increasing at a very rapid speed in everyday life, the regulatory authorities are now adding more focus on how organisations should design, safeguard and monitor their systems—particularly when children and vulnerable individuals are involved.
