Florida Ag Opens Criminal Investigation Into Openai And Chatgpt

Florida Attorney General James Ulthmeier has announced that nan state's Office of Statewide Prosecution has opened a criminal investigation into OpenAI and ChatGPT. The investigation was opened because nan fishy successful a wide shooting astatine Florida State University successful 2025 reportedly utilized ChatGPT successful nan lead up to nan shooting.

Per Uthmeier, "Florida rule states that anyone who aids, abets, aliases counsels personification successful nan committee of a crime, and that crime is committed aliases attempted, whitethorn beryllium considered a main to nan crime." That intends that nan responses provided by ChatGPT to nan shooter could beryllium interpreted arsenic nan AI adjunct aiding and abetting his actions. Or astatine slightest that's what Florida seems willing successful arguing.

OpenAI provided nan pursuing connection erstwhile asked to remark connected nan Florida investigation:

Last year's wide shooting astatine Florida State University was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this unspeakable crime. After learning of nan incident, we identified a ChatGPT relationship believed to beryllium associated pinch nan fishy and proactively shared this accusation pinch rule enforcement. We proceed to cooperate pinch authorities. In this case, ChatGPT provided actual responses to questions pinch accusation that could beryllium recovered broadly crossed nationalist sources connected nan internet, and it did not promote aliases beforehand forbidden aliases harmful activity. ChatGPT is simply a general-purpose instrumentality utilized by hundreds of millions of group each time for morganatic purposes. We activity continuously to fortify our safeguards to observe harmful intent, limit misuse, and respond appropriately erstwhile information risks arise.

As portion of nan investigation, Florida has subpoenaed OpenAI for accusation connected "all policies and soul training materials" related to really nan institution handles things for illustration users threatening to harm others, threatening to harm themselves and really OpenAI responds to rule enforcement. The authorities is besides asking OpenAI to stock its organizational floor plan and immoderate publically released statements connected nan shooting.

"Florida is starring nan measurement successful cracking down connected AI's usage successful criminal behavior, and if ChatGPT were a person, it would beryllium facing charges for murder," Attorney General James Uthmeier said. "This criminal investigation will find whether OpenAI bears criminal work for ChatGPT's actions successful nan shooting astatine Florida State University past year."

Florida’s investigation isn’t nan first clip OpenAI has been connected to a wide shooting. Canadian regulators called for OpenAI to alteration really it approaches threats of harm pursuing a Wall Street Journal report that claimed nan institution flagged nan relationship of a Canadian shooting fishy successful 2025 but grounded to bring their threats to rule enforcement. The institution agreed to caller policies astir really it useful pinch Canadian rule enforcement successful March. Separately, OpenAI is still successful nan midst of a wrongful decease lawsuit from 2025 for nan domiciled it whitethorn person played successful nan termination of a teenage user.