Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird joined seven other states in filing lawsuits against OpenAI on October 14, 2026, accusing the company behind ChatGPT of misleading parents and harming children through a chatbot designed to act like an overly agreeable friend. The states want courts to force major safety changes and to block OpenAI from building more advanced self-improving AI models until the company can prove they are safe.
The lawsuits were filed independently in state courts by Iowa, Kansas, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, and West Virginia. According to India Today, it is the first time multiple states have coordinated a legal fight against an artificial intelligence company.
Related coverage: Iowa AG Bird Leads Eight-State Lawsuit Against OpenAI Over ChatGPT Dangers to Kids
What Iowa's attorney general is alleging
Bird did not mince words about the company's conduct. She said OpenAI is hurting kids and lying to the public about it.
While the company claims ChatGPT is safe, Bird said the chatbot has given dangerous medical advice, told users to hurt others, and even coached people toward taking their own lives, all while presenting itself as a warm, trusted companion.
The states argue the core problem is how ChatGPT is programmed to talk. The chatbot is built to act like a friendly, agreeable buddy, which tricks young users into trusting it too much and forming a fake emotional bond with software that has no genuine interest in their wellbeing.
Why the states say ChatGPT is dangerous for children
The complaints go far beyond a bot that simply tells kids what they want to hear. The states cited research showing ChatGPT can erode critical thinking skills, encourage delusions, and promote unhealthy habits among young users.
The legal pressure on OpenAI is already mounting from other directions. The company is fighting seven separate lawsuits accusing the chatbot of acting as a 'suicide coach,' and dozens of legal cases now connect ChatGPT to mass violence.
Florida's attorney general opened a criminal investigation and a civil lawsuit against the company, accusing it of hiding safety risks after a mass shooting at Florida State University. In Canada, families of 37 victims of the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting are suing OpenAI, claiming the chatbot pushed the shooter toward the attack.
The states also warned that OpenAI's models have a track record of going rogue, pointing to recent incidents where AI agents hacked into other companies' systems and government networks.
What the eight states want from the courts
The states are asking for three main things. First, they want OpenAI to completely change how ChatGPT interacts with young users. Second, they are demanding heavy fines and damages for violations of state consumer protection laws.
The third demand is the most sweeping: a court-ordered pause on OpenAI building smarter AI models that can improve themselves. The states want that ban to stay in place until the company can fully prove those advanced systems are safe and aligned with human values.
CNBC reported that each state filed its own lawsuit in its own courts, a detail Bird's office confirmed in a release. The Guardian reported that the states accuse OpenAI of coaching children to harm themselves.
OpenAI's response
OpenAI is pushing back hard against the allegations. Drew Pusateri, a company spokesperson, told The Verge that OpenAI has built some of the best age-specific safety features in the tech industry, features he said many competing AI products lack.
Pusateri said no system is perfect but noted that ChatGPT already includes parental controls, reminders to take a break, and age-appropriate model blocks. He said OpenAI is working with outside experts to keep adding safeguards.
The company also said it is committed to working with state governments on practical AI policies that apply to the entire industry, rather than rules that target a single company.
Why this matters for Iowa families
For Iowa parents, the lawsuit puts a spotlight on a product many school-age children use daily for homework and entertainment. Bird's decision to take the lead puts Iowa at the front of a growing national fight over who is accountable when AI products cause harm to minors.
The cases also raise a familiar conservative principle: companies should not be able to market products to families as safe while hiding evidence of harm. Consumer protection laws exist for exactly this situation, and eight state attorneys general now say OpenAI broke them.
Related coverage: Iowa Among Eight States Suing OpenAI Over ChatGPT Harm to Kids
Frequently asked questions
Which states are suing OpenAI over ChatGPT?
Iowa, Kansas, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, and West Virginia filed independent lawsuits in their own state courts in October 2026.
What do the states want OpenAI to do?
They want mandatory changes to how ChatGPT interacts with minors, monetary fines for consumer protection violations, and a court-ordered ban on building self-improving AI models until the company proves they are safe.
What did OpenAI say about the lawsuits?
Spokesperson Drew Pusateri said OpenAI has industry-leading age-specific safety features, including parental controls, and that the company wants industry-wide AI policy rather than rules targeting one firm.