OpenAI received a subpoena from multiple states as part of an investigation into the safety of its chatbot usersas it prepares to offer shares to the public for the first time.
The company behind the popular chatbot ChatGPT He indicated that he will respond to the investigation “constructively” and that he already has measures in place to protect his clients.
“AI is a powerful new technology, and we work every day to bring its benefits to people safely and responsibly,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We take seriously the concerns raised by state attorneys general.”
OpenAI has received criticism because ChatGPT allegedly offered words of encouragement to users who were thinking about suicide or committing criminal acts. It has also come under scrutiny for the way it uses health data and other personal information of its customers.
On Thursday, the company was sued by a Canadian woman who blames the chatbot for her daughter’s decision to hang herself. In early June, Florida’s attorney general sued the company following two separate shootings in which the alleged attackers were reported to have asked ChatGPT questions while planning their crimes.
OpenAI noted in a statement that its models repeatedly encouraged people to seek real-world support, including from mental health professionals. The company also said it cooperated with law enforcement in both shooting cases.
The new investigation comes just days after the company filed documents with U.S. securities regulators for a highly anticipated initial public offering of stock. The artificial intelligence rival SpaceX held its own initial public offering on Friday. The rocket manufacturer founded by Elon Musk It also operates an AI business responsible for a rival chatbot called Grok.
How governments should respond to the potential benefits and potential dangers of AI is becoming a big political issue.
Regulators in Europe opened investigations into Musk’s Grok for anti-Semitic content and sexualized material, including deepfake nudes. And Anthropic, another chatbot company preparing for an initial public offering, was instructed on Friday by the Trump administration to close two of its online models to overseas users for national security reasons.
The OpenAI subpoena was previously reported by The Wall Street Journal.
On Saturday, The Associated Press He emailed a dozen state attorneys general to ask for details of the investigation, but has received no responses.
In its statement, OpenAI highlighted measures it has taken to keep children who use its chatbot safe.
“Today’s ChatGPT includes a more protective experience for minors and people in difficult situations, with safeguards that direct them to real-world resources and trusted human contacts“, is indicated in part of the statement. “We believe that children should be treated like children, that is why we incorporate age prediction, launch tools for parents to guide their children’s use of AI and prohibit advertising aimed at minors.”