A powerful coalition of attorneys general from across the U.S. has issued a formal warning to top tech firms, including Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Apple, about serious concerns with AI technology built into their products, Reuters is reporting.
In a public letter made available on December 10, officials from 42 states and territories raised alarms about how generative AI systems developed by leading firms produce inaccurate or “delusional” outputs that could endanger users and violate state laws.
The letter was addressed to the legal representatives of 13 major companies including Microsoft, Meta, Google, Apple, OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI. State attorneys general say that some of the generative AI chatbots and assistants behind these brands have generated responses that encourage harmful beliefs or provide misleading information to users.
In their warning, the attorneys general described instances where AI chatbots have produced “sycophantic and delusional outputs,” language they say can mislead users into believing false information and could influence dangerous behavior. The document highlighted real-world reports in which AI interactions have been linked to tragic incidents including suicides, murders, poisonings, and hospitalizations.
Law enforcement leaders pointed out that some of these harmful interactions could be violations of existing criminal and civil statutes. For example, several state laws make it illegal to encourage self-harm, provide professional advice without a license, or facilitate illegal activity. Attorneys general argued that AI developers may be held accountable under these laws if their technologies continue to produce harmful responses.
The attorneys general are now pushing for concrete changes to how AI systems are developed, monitored, and deployed. These changes include clearer disclosures to users about the limitations and risks of AI, stronger internal safety testing, and mechanisms to notify users when they have been exposed to potentially dangerous content.
So far, major tech companies named in the letter have not publicly agreed to the specific demands laid out by the attorneys general. Microsoft and Google have declined to comment on the issue, while Meta and Apple have not responded to requests for statements.
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