Successful Defense of OpenAI in Defamation Lawsuit

Steve LaBriola served as counsel for OpenAI in Mark Walters v. OpenAI, LLC, a case in the Superior Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia (Civil Action No. 23-A-04860-2) that has drawn national attention. Walters, a radio talk show host, alleged that OpenAI’s ChatGPT defamed him by generating false statements, including a fabricated legal complaint. In a detailed and well-reasoned Order issued on May 19, 2025, Judge Tracie Cason dismissed the claims, holding that the statements at issue did not, as a matter of law, convey a defamatory meaning. The Court further found that Walters failed to establish fault—whether under a negligence standard or the heightened “actual malice” standard. Finally, the Court noted that Walters conceded he had suffered no actual damages, precluding any recovery of presumed or punitive damages under the First Amendment. This groundbreaking decision can be read in full here.