OpenAI probed on possible user harm before IPO

OpenAI probed on possible user harm before IPO

US STATES SUBPOENA: How governments should respond to AI’s potential for good and possible dangers is becoming a disquieting political issue

OpenAI received a subpoena from several US states as part of a probe into the safety of users of its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot as it prepares to offer stock to the public for the first time.

The company behind the popular chatbot, ChatGPT, said it would respond to the inquiry “constructively” and that it already has in place measures to protect users.

“AI is a new and powerful technology, and we work every day to safely bring its benefits to people in a responsible way,” an OpenAI spokesman said in an e-mailed statement. “We take the concerns raised by state attorneys general seriously.”

The OpenAI logo is pictured for illustration on Thursday.

OpenAI has drawn criticism for ChatGPT allegedly offering encouraging words to users thinking of killing themselves or engaging criminal acts. It has also come under scrutiny for how it uses health data and other personal information of its customers.

On Thursday, the company was sued by a Canadian blaming the chatbot for her daughter’s decision to hang herself. Earlier this month, the Florida attorney general sued the company after two separate shootings in which alleged gunmen were reported to have asked ChatGPT questions while planning their crimes.

OpenAI said in a statement that its models repeatedly encouraged the individuals to seek real-world support, including from mental health professionals. The company also said it has cooperated with law enforcement in both shooting cases.

The new probe comes just a few day after it filed documents with US security regulators for a highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO) of stock. AI rival SpaceX celebrated its own IPO on Friday. The rocket maker founded by Elon Musk also runs an AI business responsible for rival chatbot Grok.

How governments should respond to the potential for good and possible dangers of AI is becoming a big political issue.

Regulators in Europe opened investigations into Musk’s Grok over antisemitic content and sexualized material, include deepfake nudes. Another chatbot company preparing an IPO, Anthropic PBC, was directed by the US authorities on Friday to shut down two of its online models to foreign nationals for national security reasons.

The OpenAI subpoena was earlier reported by the Wall Street Journal.

In its statement, OpenAI highlighted measures it has taken to keep children using its chatbot safe.

“Today’s ChatGPT includes a more protective experience for minors and people experiencing difficult situations, with safeguards that direct them to real-world resources and trusted human contacts,” the statement read in part. “We believe kids should be treated like kids, which is why we built age prediction, released parental tools to guide their children’s use of AI, and disallowed advertising that targets kids.”