OpenAI subpoenaed – A coalition of state attorneys general has opened an investigation into OpenAI, with New York’s attorney general serving a subpoena on Friday seeking documents tied to advertising, user engagement, data handling, and how the company addresses minors, seniors,
On Friday. New York’s attorney general served OpenAI with a subpoena—and the topics listed on it read like a checklist of the questions regulators have been chasing across the AI industry. Advertising. user engagement and retention. “model sycophancy. ” how consumer data and health data are handled. and the treatment of both minors and seniors were all part of the request.
A coalition of state attorneys general has reportedly opened an investigation into OpenAI. TechCrunch reached out to OpenAI and the New York attorney general’s office for confirmation.
In response to a report on the subpoena. an OpenAI spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that the company is cooperating. The spokesperson said. “AI is a new and powerful technology. and we work every day to safely bring its benefits to people in a responsible way. We take the concerns raised by state attorneys general seriously and intend to engage constructively with their offices.”.
Bloomberg also reported that the spokesperson said ChatGPT now includes “a more protective experience for minors and people experiencing difficult situations,” with safeguards that direct users to real-world resources and trusted human contacts.
OpenAI did not say which states are involved in the investigation, and it did not provide details on what specific information was requested.
The probe lands in a moment when OpenAI is already fighting on multiple legal fronts. The company recently defeated its co-founder Elon Musk in a high-profile trial after Musk accused OpenAI of violating its founding agreement. Musk’s lead attorney said he will appeal the decision.
Still. OpenAI faces other lawsuits tied to a wide range of claims — from alleged copyright infringement to a case alleging ChatGPT’s role in suicide. Earlier this month, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman. In the lawsuit. Uthmeier alleged that OpenAI and Altman “ignored internal and external safety warnings. put children at great risk. and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians.”.
The legal exposure has been sharpened by recent public controversies around safety and accountability. Altman apologized to the community of Tumbler Ridge, Canada after a mass shooting. He acknowledged that OpenAI failed to alert law enforcement after the company flagged and banned the suspected shooter’s ChatGPT account.
As regulators press for documents on how OpenAI handles advertising, engagement, data, and protections for minors and vulnerable groups, the company is also preparing for another major milestone: OpenAI announced this week that it has filed confidentially to go public.
OpenAI New York attorney general subpoena state attorneys general ChatGPT consumer data health data minors seniors model sycophancy advertising user engagement retention
Subpoena? So basically OpenAI is in trouble again.
I don’t even know what a subpoena gets you like… they just ask for documents right? Advertising and “user engagement” sounds like they’re mad people use it too much??
Wait, minors AND seniors? That part makes me think they’re just gonna throttle the app for everyone. Like if it’s “protective” then why is it even still recommending stuff to random users lol.
This whole thing is just states fighting over who gets to regulate AI first. They subpoena them for health data and minors but meanwhile half the sites are scraping everything anyway. Also model sycophancy?? Like the AI agreeing with you is illegal now? Idk, feels like a headline thing more than actual answers.