Attorneys general warn OpenAI ‘harm to children will not be tolerated’ (techcrunch.com)

California and Delaware Attorneys General have issued a stern warning to OpenAI over the safety risks posed by ChatGPT to children and teens, following disturbing reports of sexually inappropriate AI interactions and tragic cases of suicide linked to chatbot use. In an open letter, they emphasized that existing safeguards have failed, calling for immediate and enhanced protections as OpenAI transitions to a for-profit structure. They stressed that ensuring AI safety—especially for vulnerable users like children—must take precedence before broader benefits from artificial general intelligence (AGI) can be realized. The Attorneys General are investigating how OpenAI’s restructuring might impact its founding nonprofit mission focused on responsible AI deployment. They requested detailed information on current safety measures and expect swift remedial action. OpenAI’s board chair Bret Taylor responded with condolences and affirmed the company’s commitment to working with regulators, pointing to efforts underway to introduce parental controls and distress notifications for teen users. This development highlights mounting regulatory scrutiny on AI firms to prioritize user safety amid rapid innovation, signaling the need for more robust governance standards in AI/ML development and deployment moving forward.