8 states are suing OpenAI, saying ChatGPT harms kids. Here are their demands, from data deletion to halting AI testing.

The states allege that ChatGPT encouraged self-harm and violence and that OpenAI misled consumers about the tool's safety.Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesEight states sued OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT encouraged self-harm and violence.The lawsuits accuse OpenAI of misleading consumers about ChatGPT's safety.States are seeking fines, data deletion, age checks, and limits on advanced AI testing.OpenAI is facing a new legal offensive from eight states whose attorneys general allege that ChatGPT has encouraged some users, including teenagers, to hurt themselves or others.A bipartisan group of attorneys general filed separate lawsuits Wednesday, accusing OpenAI of misleading consumers about safety and of designing the chatbot to cultivate trust before reinforcing delusions or facilitating dangerous conduct.The states — Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, and West Virginia — also accused OpenAI of misleading consumers about ChatGPT’s safety and demanded a range of restrictions, from limits on testing of advanced models to the deletion of user data.Here is what each state is demanding as remedies.ArizonaBloomberg/Getty ImagesAttorney General Kris Mayes of Arizona alleges OpenAI used excessive agreement and simulated compassion to win user trust and collect personal data."OpenAI designed a product to attract young users and keep them engaged for as long as possible so it could capture their extensive personal data for the company's commercial benefit," Mayes said."OpenAI put Arizonans safety at risk by failing to implement adequate user protections or transparency measures," Mayes added.According to the state's complaint, the state is seeking penalties of up to $10,000 for each willful violation. The state also wants to bar OpenAI from deploying or testing advanced models outside a secure, independently verified environment and require prompt reporting of incidents in which models escape controls or access systems without authorization.ArkansasTom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesAttorney General Tim Griffin of Arkansas alleges OpenAI concealed known risks while assuring consumers that ChatGPT was safe, and unlawfully collected teens’ personal information.“OpenAI assures us that ChatGPT is safe. The consequences of that assurance are lives lost and people harmed,” Griffin said in a statement.The state is seeking financial penalties and an injunction against collecting data from teens. Arkansas also wants to halt further advanced AI testing and the creation of models capable of recursive self-improvement, until adequate safeguards are in place.IdahoBloomberg/Getty ImagesRaúl Labrador, the attorney general of Idaho, alleges OpenAI misled consumers about ChatGPT’s safety while encouraging self-harm and violence, reinforcing delusions, and offering dangerous medical advice."The safety of Idaho children cannot be an afterthought to runaway profit or technological advancements," Labrador said in a statement on Wednesday.In its complaint, Idaho seeks $5,000 per consumer protection violation and court-ordered safeguards, including age verification and limits on harmful or addictive features. The lawsuit also seeks to restrict advanced AI testing and deployment to secure, independently verified environments.IowaBrenna Bird, Iowa's Attorney General. speaks during a rally at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. (Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald via Getty Images)Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald via Getty ImagesIowa alleges that OpenAI misled consumers about ChatGPT’s safety and concealed risks associated with autonomous AI agents.As a remedy, the state wants OpenAI to “delete and destroy all Iowans’ data obtained prior to the entry of this Court’s judgment.” It also seeks consumer reimbursements and penalties of up to $40,000 per consumer fraud violation, plus up to $5,000 for violations against older people aged 60 or older.Iowa is also asking the court to halt further testing of advanced AI models until safeguards are independently verified to not be posing a danger to the public and until third-party monitors have verified the sameKansasAlex Wong/Getty ImagesKansas Attorney General Kris Kobach said that OpenAI deceived consumers about ChatGPT’s safety and designed features that encourage compulsive use.“Defendants designed these products, keeping consumers ignorant of the true nature of the product,” the complaint said.Kansas is seeking $10,000 per consumer protection violation and $20,000 per violation involving a protected consumer. It also wants restitution of funds acquired from Kansas consumers and a permanent injunction against deceptive and unconscionable practices.MontanaBill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesIn Montana's complaint filed by Attorney General Austin Knudsen, the state alleges OpenAI deceived consumers about ChatGPT’s safety and violated privacy protections, including by collecting children's data without required consent.In the

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