Texas sues OpenAI and Sam Altman on ChatGPT safety claims

Texas sued OpenAI and its chief executive Sam Altman on Friday. The US state says OpenAI sells ChatGPT as safe. It says the safeguards do not give protection to users, with children in that group. Attorney General Ken Paxton made the suit by the law of Texas on deceptive trade. Texas wants civil penalties of a maximum of $10,000 for each violation. It is unusual that the suit names Altman as personally liable.

What Texas wants

The suit wants these items:

• Keep minors from ChatGPT.
• Get approval of new models from an expert that the court names.
• Stop the chatbot from giving advice on suicide, eating disorders and violence.

The proof

The filing says the value of OpenAI went from about $17 billion to more than $1.4 trillion in four years. It says deceit caused this increase. It also says mass shooters got aid and vulnerable persons went to suicide. These are claims in a lawsuit.

What is not known

A court did not rule. OpenAI gave no comment at first. Paxton also says OpenAI long did not make sure of identities, as the law of Texas requires.

Insight: US states now sue OpenAI one after the other

In October 2026, eight US states sued OpenAI on injury to children. Texas adds a claim against Altman as a person and wants a court expert to give approval of new models. In July 2024, Meta agreed to pay Texas $1.4 billion. This reads as a race of officials of US states to set chatbot rules with lawsuits and settlements, not with new laws. A settlement can include age checks.