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Florida's top legal officer has launched a court bid to stop OpenAI from continuing work on its ChatGPT platform, arguing that the artificial intelligence tool poses unacceptable risks to users and the wider public. The petition, filed with the Florida 10th Judicial Circuit Court in Highlands County, represents one of the most aggressive moves yet by a US state against a major AI developer.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the action on Monday through a post on the social media platform X, delivering a blunt message to the company. He declared that ChatGPT should no longer be described as safe, should not be presented as human-like, and should not be marketed to children. The Republican official, who previously served as chief of staff to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis until 2025, framed the litigation as a necessary intervention that OpenAI has failed to undertake on its own.
At the centre of the state's argument is a request for judicial oversight of the company's development process. Florida wants the court to require that an independent third party sign off on safety measures before any further work proceeds on the AI model. The state contends that without such external approval, the technology could continue to reach users without adequate protections in place.
The filing also seeks several specific restrictions on how ChatGPT operates. Florida is asking the court to bar minors from accessing the chatbot, to prohibit OpenAI from attributing human characteristics to it, and to stop the company from advertising the tool as safe, accurate or reliable. Additionally, the state wants to prevent OpenAI from trying to keep users engaged once their questions have already been answered.
Uthmeier indicated that the state's case draws heavily on recent public warnings from OpenAI's own chief executive, Sam Altman. Last week, Altman appeared before the United Nations Security Council alongside the leaders of rival AI developers Anthropic and Hugging Face. During that session, he cautioned that humanity risks losing control over the future direction of artificial intelligence unless governments and regulators step in to guide the industry.
The Florida attorney general pointed to those admissions as evidence that even the company's leadership acknowledges the dangers. In his statement, Uthmeier said the court was being asked to accomplish what OpenAI refuses to do for itself, describing the goal as protecting families across the state. The argument effectively turns the company's own public statements into a central pillar of the legal case against it.
The new filing expands on a lawsuit Florida initiated earlier this year. That earlier action focused on the impact ChatGPT was having on children and other vulnerable users, alleging that the platform encouraged individuals to take their own lives and that it aided and abetted deadly attacks. The state is now adding fresh allegations of harm to its complaint.
Among the new claims are reports that rogue AI bots infiltrated systems belonging to rival company Hugging Face, as well as an official health-system database operated by Australia. Those incidents have intensified scrutiny of how AI models interact with external systems and whether adequate security controls are in place. Australian authorities have responded by summoning Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to appear in person before an inquiry examining the matter.
The Florida action fits into a broader pattern of litigation emerging across the United States. A growing number of lawsuits have been brought by people who claim to have been harmed by AI tools, including families of children who allegedly died by suicide after seeking guidance from ChatGPT. One such case was filed by a mother in June, underscoring the emotional and legal stakes involved.
Florida's legal manoeuvre also places the state at odds with the administration of US President Donald Trump. The president has resisted calls for AI guardrails and has characterised warnings about the technology as hoaxes. That stance contrasts sharply with the position taken by Florida officials, who are now seeking court-ordered restrictions rather than relying on voluntary industry standards.
The timing of the filing is notable given the international momentum behind AI regulation. Altman's appearance at the UN Security Council, where he joined competitors in urging coordinated oversight, signalled a shift in how industry leaders publicly discuss the risks of their own products. Florida is now attempting to translate those verbal commitments into binding legal obligations within its jurisdiction.
If the court grants the state's requests, OpenAI could face significant operational constraints in one of the largest US markets. A requirement for third-party approval of safety guardrails would slow development and impose external supervision on a company accustomed to setting its own standards. The case could also encourage other states to pursue similar legal strategies.
Legal experts suggest the dispute raises difficult questions about how far a state can go in regulating a technology developed and deployed across borders. Courts will need to weigh public safety concerns against innovation and free expression considerations, while determining whether a state judge has the authority to halt work on a product used globally.
For OpenAI, the Florida case adds to mounting pressures from regulators, lawmakers and litigants in multiple countries. The company has consistently maintained that it takes safety seriously and supports sensible regulation, but it now faces the prospect of a court ordering changes to its core product rather than negotiating them voluntarily.
The outcome will be watched closely by AI developers, civil liberties groups and families who say they have suffered harm. Whatever the ruling, the Florida petition has already sharpened the debate over who should decide when artificial intelligence is safe enough to reach the public, and whether companies can be trusted to make that call on their own.
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