(SeaPRwire) – By: Oliver Hawthorne
OpenAI’s long-awaited IPO just hit a critical snag. Days after filing to go public, the ChatGPT maker received a multistate subpoena. This lands at the worst possible moment for a firm pitching responsible AI.
The subpoena follows months of criticism of ChatGPT. The company has been accused of encouraging suicidal users and aiding criminal planning. It also faces scrutiny over its handling of customer health and personal data. Two high-profile lawsuits landed recently: a Canadian mother blamed the chatbot for her daughter’s suicide earlier this week, and Florida’s attorney general filed suit in June over two shootings where suspects used ChatGPT. OpenAI pushed back, saying its models directed users to mental health support and cooperated with law enforcement in both shooting cases. The firm also highlighted minor safety tools, including age prediction, parental controls, no kid-targeted ads, and direct access to real-world support resources. The Wall Street Journal first reported the subpoena, and the Associated Press reached out to 12 state attorneys general with no response.
This probe isn’t a one-off. European regulators are investigating Musk’s Grok for harmful content including deepfake nudes. Anthropic, another IPO-bound chatbot maker, had two of its models blocked abroad last week. For OpenAI, the probe could delay its IPO or force it to pause growth to meet regulatory demands. The clear takeaway: AI firms can no longer cut corners on safety to chase quick public market gains.
Author bio: Oliver Hawthorne, Principal Correspondent for a leading international technology review covering AI regulatory and market trends.
