Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is concerned that many Alabamians are vulnerable to data breaches from an artificial intelligence “lab leak.”
Marshall announced the issuance of a subpoena demanding that OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, respond to an investigation into the company’s complete lack of oversight and adequate safeguards in the hacking of Hugging Face, another artificial intelligence (AI) company. The investigation comes after Alabama was part of a multi-state coalition letter sent earlier in the month to OpenAI demanding transparency and accountability.
“OpenAI has an obligation to act responsibly and to follow State and federal laws that protect Americans’ safety and security,” the letter said. “When OpenAI takes actions that imperil the welfare of our citizens, State Attorneys General will step in to protect them. We intend to take all steps necessary to protect our States and all Americans from the unprecedented risks posed by OpenAI’s irresponsible products and conduct.”
In July, OpenAI unleashed an experimental artificial intelligence model that, without reasonable controls or oversight, gained unauthorized access to several computer networks, which culminated in a days-long hack on another AI company.
“This AI lab leak showed that Alabamians’ and Americans’ worst fears about artificial intelligence are not just theoretical,” Marshall said. “Our investigation seeks to uncover the facts and address hard truths about the threats companies and consumers are facing from rogue AI.”
Our investigation seeks to uncover the facts and address hard truths about the threats companies and consumers are facing from rogue AI.
🔗: https://t.co/UIawImPT3x pic.twitter.com/xcpNigR9cg
— Attorney General Steve Marshall (@AGSteveMarshall) August 24, 2026
Alabama’s subsequent investigation seeks to address whether OpenAI’s inability or unwillingness to ensure the safety of its products violated Alabama’s consumer protection laws and poses an ongoing risk of substantial harm to the citizens of the state.
“Ultimately, I believe states have to act to protect their consumers while striking the appropriate balance to foster innovation and ensure America’s global competitiveness,” Marshall added.
The investigation now seeks to discover whether OpenAI violated Alabama’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act and other consumer protection laws. The Attorney General’s subpoena requests that OpenAI respond with all potentially relevant documents, data, and information.
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
