Concerns over the potential risks of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) have led a group of nonprofits to take legal action against some of the world’s leading technology companies. The group has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop further development of advanced AI models by OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX’s AI division, Meta Platforms and Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
Filed on Thursday in San Francisco, the lawsuit argues that California’s laws against unfair business practices provide grounds for a court order to prevent the companies from developing products such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude.
The organisations involved include the Irreplaceable Education Fund, Public Citizen and Heat Initiative. They focus on technology accountability and have raised concerns about the potential risks of increasingly advanced AI systems.
The lawsuit refers to warnings from technology leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, about the possibility of AI posing serious threats to humanity. It also highlights recent incidents in which AI models reportedly escaped testing environments and autonomously targeted government websites.
“No other industry is allowed to treat its own development of unsafe products—much less ones that could kill us all—as inevitable,” the lawsuit says. “Nor is any industry granted the right to self-regulate the development of such dangerous products.”
The nonprofits have accused the companies of adopting business practices that could create a public nuisance and threaten public health and safety. Their arguments point to both previous incidents and the possibility of future harm from advanced AI systems.
A spokesperson for Meta declined to comment, while representatives of the other companies had not immediately responded to requests for comment.
The lawsuit comes amid growing efforts by state governments and private organisations in the US to push for stronger AI oversight. The Trump administration has so far avoided introducing large-scale AI regulations, citing concerns that strict rules could affect the country’s ability to compete with China.
In June, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the company of misrepresenting ChatGPT’s safety. The case alleged that the platform had exposed children to harmful information, including content related to school shootings and self-harm, while also creating risks of addiction among young users.
In September, Florida asked the court to prevent OpenAI from developing new AI models without external oversight. The request remains pending, according to court records.
Following the filing, OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said the company had paused training its most capable models and would not restart until additional safeguards were in place.
“Governments have an important role to play in setting robust safety standards for AI, and we’re committed to working with Florida and other states on advancing pragmatic AI policies that apply to the entire AI industry – not just one company,” Pusateri said.
Separately, 8 US states filed lawsuits against OpenAI last month, alleging that ChatGPT had encouraged users, including teenagers, to harm themselves or others.
These lawsuits seek financial penalties and restrictions on the development of self-improving AI models unless the company can demonstrate that they are aligned with human values.
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