OpenAI faces an investigation from state prosecutors

A coalition of state attorneys general has reportedly opened an investigation into OpenAI.

The company received a subpoena from the New York Attorney General on Friday, according to the Wall Street Journal. This subpoena sought documents relating to a wide range of topics including the company’s advertising, user engagement and retention, model ingratiation, handling of consumer and health data, and treatment of minors and the elderly.

TechCrunch has reached out to OpenAI and the New York Attorney General’s Office for confirmation. A company spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that OpenAI is cooperating with the investigation.

“AI is a powerful new technology, and we work every day to bring its benefits to people safely and responsibly,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We take the concerns raised by state attorneys general seriously and intend to engage constructively with their offices.”

According to Bloomberg, the spokesperson also said that ChatGPT now “includes a more protective experience for minors and people in difficult situations, with safeguards that direct them to real-world resources and trusted human connections.” The company declined to identify the countries involved in the investigation or share more details about the information requested.

OpenAI recently defeated its co-founder Elon Musk in a high-profile trial, after Musk accused the company of violating its founding agreement. (Musk’s lead lawyer said he will appeal the decision.)

However, OpenAI still faces lawsuits over everything from alleged copyright infringement to ChatGPT’s alleged role in the suicide. Earlier this month, Florida Attorney General James Othmeier filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, claiming that OpenAI and Altman “ignored internal and external safety warnings, exposed children to significant danger, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians.”

Altman recently apologized to the community of Tumblr Ridge, Canada, after a mass shooting. He acknowledged that OpenAI failed to alert law enforcement after the company flagged and blocked the suspected shooter’s ChatGPT account.

The company announced this week that it has filed confidentially to go public.