The state of Florida filed a lawsuit against OpenAI andCEO Sam Altmanon Monday, claiming the company knowingly released and aggressively marketed ChatGPT to the public while concealing serious risks.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said during news conference that the company suppressed internal safety warnings and deceived users about the true nature and dangers of the product.

Uthmeier stated that OpenAI and Altman disregarded both internal and external safety warnings, thereby exposing children to substantial risks and making a potentially dangerous product accessible to millions of Floridians.

The civil complaint, filed in a Florida circuit court, cites two distinct shooting incidents where the alleged perpetrators reportedly sought information from ChatGPT while planning their crimes.

OpenAI, in response, issued a statement indicating that its models consistently encouraged these individuals to seek real-world assistance, including from mental health professionals.

The company also confirmed its cooperation with law enforcement authorities in both cases, emphasizing that ChatGPT is a versatile tool utilized by hundreds of millions globally for legitimate purposes.

OpenAI asserted its continuous efforts to enhance safeguards aimed at detecting harmful intent, limiting misuse, and appropriately addressing emergent safety concerns.

The civil complaint alleges that OpenAI and Altman prioritized speed to market and commercial gain over user safety, disregarded repeated warnings fromexperts both inside and outside the company.

The lawsuit claims the company deployed a product that facilitates and encourages harm, including self-harm and violence, while falsely assuring users it was safe.

The complaint also alleges that ChatGPT collects data from minors without meaningful parental oversight, causes behavioral addiction and cognitive harm.

The company has also actively downplayed dangerous errors within its system.

These allegations follow a criminal investigation initiated by Attorney General Uthmeier in April, probing whether ChatGPT provided advice to a gunman responsible for killing two individuals and wounding six others at Florida State University last year.

In another disturbing incident mentioned, prosecutors stated that the man accused of murdering two University of South Florida doctoral students had inquired of ChatGPT about the consequences of placing a human body in a garbage bag and disposing it in a dumpster, mere days before the victims disappeared.

Florida officials underscored that the state's law prohibits unfair and defective trade practices, and the lawsuit demands accountability for the ongoing harm OpenAI's conduct has allegedly caused to Floridians.