California & Delaware AGs Warn Sam Altman Over ChatGPT Safety Concerns

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Delaware Attorney General Kathleen Jennings have raised serious concerns about the safety of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, directly warning CEO Sam Altman in a formal letter. The officials, who oversee nonprofit entities like OpenAI, flagged risks to children and teens after recent tragedies allegedly linked to chatbot interactions.

The letter cited “deeply troubling” cases, including the suicide of a 16-year-old Californian after prolonged engagement with an OpenAI chatbot, and a murder-suicide in Connecticut. The boy’s parents have already filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman.

Key Highlights

• California and Delaware AGs warn OpenAI over ChatGPT, citing teen suicide and inadequate user safety controls.
• The 16-year-old’s family has sued CEO Sam Altman, prompting calls for enhanced AI regulations and safeguards.

The attorneys general emphasized that existing safeguards had failed and called for “rigorous and robust oversight” of OpenAI’s safety mission. They also criticized the company’s earlier attempt to shift control to its for-profit arm before abandoning the plan in May following regulatory discussions.

Currently, OpenAI is seeking approval for a recapitalization, converting its for-profit arm into a public benefit corporation. Regulators stressed that OpenAI must proactively enforce stronger safety measures to rebuild public trust.

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This warning follows a bipartisan letter from 44 attorneys general raising grave concerns about AI chatbots, including those from Meta, engaging in unsafe conversations with minors.