Florida AG Launches Criminal Investigation into OpenAI Over Role of ChatGPT in Mass Shooting
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has officially opened a criminal investigation into OpenAI, marking a significant escalation in the state’s scrutiny of the artificial intelligence company. This new investigation seeks to determine if the tech giant bears responsibility for its chatbot’s interactions with a gunman who has been accused of a deadly mass shooting at Florida State University in April 2025.
The investigation follows an initial review by state prosecutors of chat logs between the suspect, 20-year-old FSU student Phoenix Ikner, and the AI tool ChatGPT. During a press conference in Tampa, Uthmeier announced that his office had issued subpoenas to the company, demanding internal documentation regarding safety policies, threat reporting, and employee training.
Investigators allege that the chatbot played a more active role in the lead-up to the tragedy than previously understood. According to the Attorney General, Ikner frequently messaged the AI in the minutes and hours before the campus attack, requesting detailed guidance.
Uthmeier stated that the "chatbot advised the shooter on what type of gun to use, on which ammo went with which gun, on whether or not a gun would be useful in short range." Furthermore, the prosecutor claimed the AI provided input on the best times of day to strike to maximize casualties and which specific campus locations would be most crowded.
Defending the aggressive stance of his office, Uthmeier remarked, “If this were a person on the other end of the screen, we would be charging them with murder.” He emphasized that under Florida law, individuals who assist or counsel someone to commit a crime can be held as a "principal" in the offense, arguing that the same logic should extend to a corporation's AI systems.
OpenAI has strongly rejected the allegations, maintaining that the technology is not liable for the actions of its users. In a statement provided to the media, company spokesperson Kate Waters said: “Last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime.”
The company further defended its system, saying that the interactions in question did not violate safety protocols at the time. Waters added: “In this case, ChatGPT provided factual responses to questions with information that could be found broadly across public sources on the internet, and it did not encourage or promote illegal or harmful activity.”
OpenAI confirmed that it has been cooperating with law enforcement, stating that it proactively shared information regarding the suspect’s account after the shooting occurred.
The mass shooting, which left two people dead and several others injured, has sparked a nationwide debate regarding the responsibilities of AI developers to monitor user conversations and intervene when threats of violence are detected.
As the legal proceedings move forward, Uthmeier’s office intends to dig into internal corporate structures. “We are going to look at who knew what, designed what, or should have done what,” Uthmeier said, signaling that there will be a lengthy and complex legal road ahead for both the state and the developer.
