Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a formal investigation into OpenAI and its flagship product ChatGPT on Wednesday, marking the first state-level regulatory probe specifically targeting the company [1].

The investigation centers on concerns about data privacy, the handling of minors' information, and potential deceptive business practices. Uthmeier's office issued civil investigative demands to OpenAI, compelling the company to produce documents and answer questions under oath.

"Today, we launched an investigation into OpenAI and ChatGPT," Uthmeier wrote on X, framing the probe as a consumer protection matter. His office did not specify which Florida statutes OpenAI may have violated but indicated the inquiry would be broad in scope.

The move comes as state attorneys general across the country have grown increasingly assertive on technology regulation, filling a vacuum left by Congress's failure to pass comprehensive AI legislation. Florida joins a growing list of states taking unilateral action on AI oversight, though this is the first investigation targeting OpenAI directly rather than addressing AI through broader data privacy frameworks.

OpenAI declined to comment on the specifics of the investigation but said in a statement that it "looks forward to working constructively with the Attorney General's office." The company has faced mounting regulatory pressure globally, including ongoing scrutiny from European data protection authorities and a Federal Trade Commission inquiry [2].

The investigation arrives at a pivotal moment for OpenAI, which is in the process of converting from a nonprofit to a for-profit structure, a transition that has drawn its own legal challenges.

-- DAVID CHEN, Beijing