Florida investigates OpenAI over ChatGPT’s interactions with Florida State shooter
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into OpenAI after reviewing chat logs between ChatGPT and the gunman who carried out last year’s shooting at Florida State University, which killed two people and wounded five others.
Uthmeier said Tuesday that the Office of Statewide Prosecution had launched the investigation after an initial review of chats involving Phoenix Ikner, who authorities said asked the AI app questions in the hours and minutes before the April 17, 2025 attack.
According to the attorney general’s office, Ikner asked ChatGPT how to fire his guns, when the campus was busiest, how Florida punishes school shooters and how many victims are needed to get media attention.
“Florida is leading the way in cracking down on AI’s use in criminal behavior, and if ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder,” Uthmeier said. He said the investigation will examine whether OpenAI bears criminal responsibility for ChatGPT’s role in the shooting.
Under Florida law, a person who aids, abets or counsels someone in committing a crime may be treated as a principal if the crime is committed or attempted. Uthmeier’s office pointed to that standard in announcing the case.
The Office of Statewide Prosecution said it has subpoenaed OpenAI for records including policies and internal training materials on threats of harm to others, threats of self-harm and cooperation with law enforcement, including the reporting of possible past, present or future crimes.
Prosecutors are also seeking records showing whether those policies changed between March 1, 2024 and April 17, 2026, along with organizational charts and employee listings tied to ChatGPT on March 1, 2024, October 1, 2024 and April 17, 2025.
The subpoena also seeks any public statements, press releases or media interviews released by OpenAI relating to the Florida State shooting.
In a statement to NBC News, spokesperson Kate Waters said the shooting “was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime.”
“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,” Waters said.
The post Florida investigates OpenAI over ChatGPT’s interactions with Florida State shooter appeared first on BNO News.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
