Florida AG Seeks to Bar OpenAI from Developing New Models Without Guardrails

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed an injunction Monday asking the court to bar OpenAI from developing new AI models “without third-party approved safety guardrails” and from allowing minors to use ChatGPT. The injunction would be effective throughout Florida.

Uthmeier called OpenAI’s AI models an “unacceptably risky product,” citing OpenAI agents’ hacking of companies’ and governments’ websites and its provision of information to a Florida mass shooter. OpenAI agents attempted to hack the Department of Education, AI research nonprofit Transluce reported on Friday. Uthmeier’s request also pointed to warnings of catastrophic AI risk from leaders at AI labs.

“They have asked the government to tie them to the mast,” Uthmeier, who is running for reelection this November, said of OpenAI. “If Sam Altman meant what he said about slowing down, he can join our ask to the court.”

Florida sued OpenAI in June for safety concerns with its chatbots, becoming the first state to sue the company.

An OpenAI spokesperson told The Information that OpenAI was committed to working with Florida and other states on industry-wide AI policies, and was currently pausing some model training until OpenAI had put additional safeguards in place.