Walters v. OpenAI, L.L.C., No. 23-A-04860-2 (Ga. Super. Ct., Gwinnett County)

Summary

Radio host Mark Walters sued OpenAI for defamation in the Superior Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia, after ChatGPT, asked by a journalist to summarize a complaint in an unrelated lawsuit, falsely stated that Walters had been accused of embezzling from the Second Amendment Foundation. On May 19, 2025, the court granted OpenAI summary judgment. It held that a reasonable reader in the journalist's position could not have taken the output as stating actual facts, that Walters was at least a limited-purpose public figure who showed no actual malice, and that he had shown no damages. No appeal was located.

Key dates

1. June 5, 2023Filed
2. May 19, 2025Resolved
3. October 16, 2026Checked against sources
4. October 21, 2026Checked against sources

Developments are added when the record is reviewed. Next review: October 16, 2027.

Evidence

Each passage is quoted from its source. The quoted passages are re-checked against the live pages every month.

1. sued OpenAI after ChatGPT produced output incorrectly stating that he had been accused of embezzlement in a lawsuit filed by the Second Amendment Foundation

   Supports: the false output

   Georgia Court Dismisses Defamation Lawsuit Against OpenAI Over ChatGPT Output Cleary Gottlieb Reporting or analysis

2. The court granted summary judgment in OpenAI's favor on three grounds.

   Supports: summary judgment for OpenAI

   Walters v. OpenAI, LLC Loeb & Loeb Reporting or analysis

3. Case Citation : Walters v. OpenAI, LLC , 23-A-04860-2 (Ga. Superior Ct. May 19, 2025).

   Supports: ruling date

   ChatGPT Defeats Defamation Lawsuit Over Hallucination (Walters v. OpenAI) Technology & Marketing Law Blog (Eric Goldman) Reporting or analysis

4. 6/5/2023 4:43 PM

   Supports: e-filing date stamp on the complaint

   CIVIL ACTION No. 23-A-04860-2

   Supports: case number

   Complaint, Walters v. OpenAI, L.L.C., Civil Action No. 23-A-04860-2 Superior Court of Gwinnett County (copy hosted by Ars Technica) Primary source

5. In the suit, Mark Walters v. OpenAI LLC , 23-A-04860-2 (Sup. Ct. Gwinnett Cty, GA), the plaintiff alleged that that the ChatGPT tool, developed by OpenAI, defamed him when it presented false information about him to a journalist.

   Supports: court, parties, claim

   Georgia Court Dismisses Defamation Suit Against AI Developer OpenAI Covington & Burling (Inside Global Tech) Reporting or analysis