A coalition of state attorneys general has launched a formal investigation into OpenAI, issuing the company a sweeping subpoena on Friday, June 12. According to The Wall Street Journal, the subpoena seeks documents covering a wide range of OpenAI's activities and its impact on users — including advertising policies and the handling of health data.
According to reporting cited by Anadolu Ajansı, as many as 42 state attorneys general are involved in the probe. New York Attorney General Letitia James is among those who served the subpoena, according to a Bing News report citing The Wall Street Journal.
Much of the scrutiny is focused on ChatGPT's impact on young users and broader consumer safety concerns. The timing is conspicuous: according to Fortune, the investigation was opened just days after OpenAI filed for a highly anticipated IPO.
Separately, according to Politico and NPR, the state of Florida has sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman directly, accusing the company of ignoring safety warnings and releasing ChatGPT while knowing it posed risks.
OpenAI responded by saying it is engaging "constructively" with state attorneys general about their concerns, according to CNBC. In a statement reported by Yahoo News Singapore and Business Insider, the company added that it is "committed to learning."
The investigation matters because it represents the most coordinated state-level legal pressure OpenAI has faced yet, arriving at the precise moment the company is seeking public investors — raising the stakes significantly for both its IPO prospects and the broader question of how AI companies will be held accountable for the harm their products may cause.