Judge Makes Good on Threat to Remand OpenAI Defamation Suit to State Court

U.S. District Judge Michael Brown for Northern Georgia in Atlanta remanded plaintiff Mark Walters’ defamation complaint against OpenAI to Gwinnett County Superior Court where the case originated before OpenAI removed it July 14, said Brown’s signed order Wednesday (docket 1:23-cv-03122). Brown’s order denied as moot OpenAI’s motion to dismiss Walters' complaint and Walters’ motion for the recovery of court costs and attorneys’ fees. The remand stems from the judge's Sept. 22 order directing OpenAI to affirmatively identify by name each member of its LLC and then allege whatever specific facts were necessary to establish the citizenship of that member for the purpose of establishing subject-matter jurisdiction. OpenAI’s failure to do so by Oct. 6 would result in remand, said the judge’s order (see 2309250005). OpenAI responded that it was withdrawing its notice of removal because it wasn’t in a position “to provide further information beyond its prior filings.” Walters, a nationally syndicated talk show host, alleges OpenAI’s ChatGPT service defamed him to a reporter (see 2307240031).