The lawsuits are linked to a shooting that took place on February 10, when a teenage girl allegedly killed her mother and half-brother before shooting six other people and injuring several others at a secondary school. She later died by suicide.
The new lawsuits accuse OpenAI of aiding and facilitating the violence. According to the claims, the girl used ChatGPT before the shooting to discuss gun violence and plan the attack.
The lawsuits further allege that concerns about the conversations were raised internally at OpenAI. Employees reportedly urged company leaders to notify Canadian police, but the company allegedly decided only to suspend the girl’s account.
The legal claims argue that this allowed her to easily create another account and continue accessing the platform.
The lawsuits also accuse OpenAI executives, particularly Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman and executive Chris Lehane, of ignoring recommendations from safety experts in order to protect the company’s public image.
OpenAI has strongly denied the allegations.
The company said Lehane was not involved in the decision regarding the user’s account. OpenAI also maintained that it did not contact law enforcement because the conversations did not meet the company’s threshold for an immediate emergency or an imminent threat of criminal activity.
The planned lawsuits could add further legal pressure on OpenAI as technology companies face growing scrutiny over the role artificial intelligence platforms may play in cases involving violence and criminal activity.
The case is expected to raise broader questions about the responsibility of artificial intelligence companies, including how they identify potential threats, respond to dangerous conversations and cooperate with law enforcement when users show signs of planning violent acts.
