--- title: "Texas AG Paxton sues OpenAI and Sam Altman over ChatGPT safety claims" description: "The state wants a court order that would block minors from ChatGPT in Texas and put new models under a court-appointed evaluator, and it names Altman…" url: https://insurance.skoop.news/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe-65e2b5/ published: 2026-10-27T23:30:26.592415-04:00 modified: 2026-10-27T23:30:26.592506-04:00 section: "Insurance" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["OpenAI", "Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act", "Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier", "Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton", "Florida AG James Uthmeier", "Buzbee Law Firm", "Florida State University", "ChatGPT", "Meta", "Roblox"] hashtags: ["#TexasAttorneyGeneralKenPaxton", "#Claims", "#insurance", "#insurancenews"] --- # Texas AG Paxton sues OpenAI and Sam Altman over ChatGPT safety claims > The state wants a court order that would block minors from ChatGPT in Texas and put new models under a court-appointed evaluator, and it names Altman personally. Published 2026-10-27 · Updated 2026-10-27 · Insurance, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued OpenAI and its co-founder and CEO Sam Altman, claiming they are deceiving the public about the safety and reliability of ChatGPT. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) - The state seeks an injunction preventing OpenAI from, among other things, failing to warn users of ChatGPT's dangers and offering the chatbot to minors in Texas. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) - According to the lawsuit, OpenAI does not require children's accounts to be linked to a parent's account. [[2]](https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/texas-attorney-general-sues-openai-ceo-sam-altman-6108596) ## The lawsuit Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued OpenAI and its co-founder and CEO Sam Altman, claiming they are deceiving the public about the safety and reliability of ChatGPT. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) The suit puts Texas citizens, and Texas minors in particular, at the center of the case. [[2]](https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/texas-attorney-general-sues-openai-ceo-sam-altman-6108596) [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) The lawsuit accuses OpenAI and Altman of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act by failing to warn Texas citizens about the dangers of their services. [[2]](https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/texas-attorney-general-sues-openai-ceo-sam-altman-6108596) It also alleges they operated their service in a way that violates the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act. [[2]](https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/texas-attorney-general-sues-openai-ceo-sam-altman-6108596) Paxton stated that OpenAI has the responsibility to protect users and warn them of the many dangers of its platform. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) ## What the state wants The state seeks an injunction preventing OpenAI from, among other things, failing to warn users of ChatGPT's dangers and offering the chatbot to minors in Texas. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) The requested injunction would require OpenAI to block access to its product for minors and to secure third-party approval on any new models from a court-appointed evaluator, among other restrictions. [[3]](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2026/10/27/890476.htm) ## The allegations about children and a teen's death According to the lawsuit, OpenAI does not require children's accounts to be linked to a parent's account. [[2]](https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/texas-attorney-general-sues-openai-ceo-sam-altman-6108596) The SCOPE Act mandates that verified parents be allowed to control known minors' privacy and account settings. [[2]](https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/texas-attorney-general-sues-openai-ceo-sam-altman-6108596) One instance cited in the complaint involves a Texas teen who died after ChatGPT advised him it was safe to mix kratom and Xanax. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) When the teen asked about mixing the two drugs, ChatGPT never suggested the combination could be deadly. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) ## Altman is named personally The complaint alleges Altman is personally liable for harm to Texans through his direct involvement in the alleged conduct as founder and CEO of OpenAI. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) It also alleges that in 2023 Altman told the OpenAI President he had received legal advice that the latest model did not need a safety review, which was also allegedly false. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) Only the Texas and Florida lawsuits name Altman as a co-defendant. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) ## Other states and earlier cases Paxton's lawsuit adds to a wave of similar actions from nine other state attorneys general. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) Florida AG James Uthmeier launched the first such lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman last June. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier also launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI in April over the shooting incident. [[2]](https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/texas-attorney-general-sues-openai-ceo-sam-altman-6108596) An OpenAI spokesperson said the Florida State University shooting was a tragedy but that ChatGPT is not responsible. [[2]](https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/texas-attorney-general-sues-openai-ceo-sam-altman-6108596) Paxton has sued or settled with Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and Roblox under the state's consumer protection laws in the last year. [[3]](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2026/10/27/890476.htm) Keller Postman LLC and The Buzbee Law Firm are plaintiffs' firms joining the Texas AG on the complaint. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) ## OpenAI's response and what it means for you OpenAI issued a statement that it is committed to working with Texas and other states on advancing pragmatic AI policies that apply to the entire AI industry. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) If you use ChatGPT in Texas, the injunction the state seeks would require OpenAI to warn users of its dangers. [[1]](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) If a minor in your household uses it, the same request would have OpenAI block access to its product for minors. [[3]](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2026/10/27/890476.htm) The suit says OpenAI does not require children's accounts to be linked to a parent's account, so a parent's oversight is not built in today. [[2]](https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/texas-attorney-general-sues-openai-ceo-sam-altman-6108596) The state also asks that any new model get third-party approval from a court-appointed evaluator. [[3]](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2026/10/27/890476.htm) ## Sources 1. [Paxton sues OpenAI, Altman alleging ChatGPT unsafe](https://www.legalnewsline.com/southeast-texas-record/paxton-sues-openai-altman-alleging-chatgpt-unsafe/article_33a891ba-54b4-4596-9369-e97017220029.html) — The Center Square 2. [Texas Attorney General Sues OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman](https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/texas-attorney-general-sues-openai-ceo-sam-altman-6108596) — The Epoch Times 3. [Texas Attorney General Sues ChatGPT-maker OpenAI](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2026/10/27/890476.htm) — Insurance Journal --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/