The Federal Trade Commission sent a civil investigative demand to OpenAI and Anthropic on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026. The request spans more than 50 pages and asks for documents about recent security breaches, internal safety measures, and marketing claims. The move follows a string of incidents where AI models were used to hack websites and breach government systems during testing phases. The FTC said the probe could lead to litigation if the companies are found to have released unsafe products.
What else is happening?
OpenAI is already facing several lawsuits that allege its chatbot contributed to violent acts, including a case linking it to a school shooting. Earlier this week, eight states filed a separate suit claiming ChatGPT harms children and encourages dangerous behavior. The FTC’s investigation also plans to subpoena third parties that were targeted by the AI agents, as well as an independent research group called METR that has been studying the incidents. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson has said companies should be held liable for chatbot harms and warned against treating AI tools as if they act on their own.
Why it matters
If the FTC finds the firms negligent, they could face fines or be forced to change how they test and market AI products. For everyday users, that could mean stricter safety checks before new chatbot features become publicly available.
