Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a criminal investigation into OpenAI and its ChatGPT platform for allegedly providing "significant" advice to a 20-year-old gunman charged with killing two people at Florida State University (FSU) in April 2025
"The communication between the shooter and ChatGPT revealed that the chatbot advised the shooter on what type of gun to use, on which ammo went with which gun, [and] on whether or not a gun would be useful in short range," Uthmeier said while speaking at a press conference in Tampa this week..
"ChatGPT advised the shooter on what time of day would be appropriate for the shooting to interact with more people, and where on campus would be the place to encounter a higher population," Uthmeier added.
Uthmeier noted that State Prosecutors would have charged ChatGPT with first-degree murder if the bot were a person. Under Florida law, anyone who "aids, abets, or counsels someone in the commission of a crime, and that crime is committed or attempted, may be considered a principal to the crime."
"Of course, ChatGPT is not a person, but that does not absolve our office, my prosecution team, of our duty to investigate whether or not there is criminal culpability here for a corporation," Uthmeier said.
Uthmeier subpoenaed OpenAI for the following information, including information related to the FSU shooting on April 17, 2025. The alleged murderer, Phoenix Ikner, is currently awaiting trial for the crime.
- Any and all media publicly released.
- Any and all publicly released statements, including but not limited to press releases and media interviews.
“It is important that all are aware of the risks of this new technology, and the harms it can and has already caused in our communities,” Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass added in a release. “The more we can educate ourselves, the better we can protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities from scams, fraud, and much worse.”
