Proportionate investigation against ChatGPT creator, before IPO. US prosecutors are seeking secret documents about the app
A coalition of US state attorneys general has launched a broad investigation into OpenAI, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.
The maker of ChatGPT was served with a subpoena on Friday asking for documents related to a wide range of activities it carried out and its impact on users, including advertising, user engagement and loyalty, as well as the management of consumer and health data, the source told the news agency.
The subpoena, sent by the New York state attorney general, also seeks information on activities related to minors and the elderly, deep learning models and the company's internal policies, the source added.
The investigation is the latest legal challenge for OpenAI, which is about to go public and is being sued by Florida for allegedly misrepresenting the safety of its ChatGPT platform.
The source declined to be identified while discussing the investigation, which has not been publicly announced.
An OpenAI spokesperson said: “AI is a new and powerful technology, and we work every day to bring its benefits to people in a responsible and safe way. We take the concerns raised by state attorneys general seriously and intend to work constructively with their offices.”
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the investigation on Friday. â
The Florida lawsuit, the first filed by a US state, alleges the platform has harmed children by providing information to perpetrators of school shootings, providing guidance on self-harm and creating addiction among young users.
A Canadian mother sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in a US court on Thursday, claiming ChatGPT encouraged her daughter to kill herself.
OpenAI said on Monday it had confidentially filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in the US, which a source said could take place as early as September and would value the company at up to $1 trillion.
