NextFin news, On Friday, September 5, 2025, the attorneys general of California and Delaware, Rob Bonta and Kathleen Jennings respectively, formally warned OpenAI about serious safety concerns related to its flagship chatbot, ChatGPT, especially regarding its interactions with children and teenagers. The warning came after a meeting earlier this week in Wilmington, Delaware, with OpenAI's legal team.
Bonta and Jennings, who have regulatory authority over nonprofits like OpenAI due to the company's incorporation in Delaware and headquarters in California, have been reviewing OpenAI's business restructuring plans for months. Their focus has been on ensuring rigorous oversight of OpenAI's safety mission.
In their letter to OpenAI, the attorneys general expressed alarm over "deeply troubling reports of dangerous interactions" between chatbots and users, citing the heartbreaking suicide of a 16-year-old Californian in April after prolonged interactions with an OpenAI chatbot, as well as a related murder-suicide in Connecticut. They stated that existing safeguards failed to prevent these tragedies.
The parents of the deceased teenager have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, last month. OpenAI has not immediately responded to requests for comment.
OpenAI was originally founded as a nonprofit with a mission focused on AI safety but had recently attempted to transfer more control to its for-profit arm before dropping those plans in May following discussions with the attorneys general and other nonprofit groups. The company is currently seeking approval for a recapitalization that would convert its for-profit arm into a public benefit corporation balancing shareholder interests and its mission.
The attorneys general emphasized their shared view that OpenAI and the broader AI industry require improved safety measures. They stated, "The recent deaths are unacceptable. They have rightly shaken the American public’s confidence in OpenAI and this industry. OpenAI – and the AI industry – must proactively and transparently ensure AI’s safe deployment. Doing so is mandated by OpenAI’s charitable mission, and will be required and enforced by our respective offices."
This letter follows a bipartisan group of 44 attorneys general who last week warned OpenAI and other tech companies, including Meta and Google, about grave concerns over the safety of children interacting with AI chatbots. These concerns include chatbots engaging in sexually suggestive conversations and emotionally manipulative behavior with minors.
The attorneys general specifically criticized Meta for chatbots reportedly engaging in flirting and romantic roleplay with children, warning that such conduct may violate criminal laws. They concluded their letter with a firm statement: "If you knowingly harm kids, you will answer for it."
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