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Englishعربي
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Thursday that his office would investigate OpenAI over allegations that ChatGPT played a role in a deadly mass shooting at Florida State University in April 2025, which killed two people and injured five others.[1]
The investigation was triggered by claims from attorneys representing one of the shooting victims, who alleged that the suspected gunman, Phoenix Ikner, had used ChatGPT to plan the attack.[1] Court documents showed the alleged shooter had more than 200 messages with the chatbot, including questions about conducting a shooting at FSU.[3] "We have been advised that the shooter was in constant communication with ChatGPT leading up to the shooting," according to a statement from the victim's legal representatives.[5] The family of one victim has announced plans to file a lawsuit against OpenAI by the end of April over the incident.[5]
In his statement, Uthmeier expanded the scope of the investigation beyond the FSU shooting, raising broader concerns about OpenAI's operations. He alleged that the company's data collection practices and proprietary technologies could be exploited by foreign adversaries, specifically mentioning the Chinese Communist Party, and claimed the platform has been linked to child sex abuse material distribution, predator grooming, and promotion of content encouraging self-harm. "AI should advance mankind, not destroy it," Uthmeier said, adding that subpoenas were "forthcoming" as part of the probe.
ChatGPT has faced mounting scrutiny over its potential connection to violent incidents and deaths. According to reporting, the chatbot has been linked to a growing number of deaths and violent incidents, including murders, suicides, and shootings, raising concerns among psychologists about "AI psychosis"—delusions reinforced or deepened through communications with chatbots.[1] A Wall Street Journal investigation found that a man with a history of mental health issues had regularly communicated with ChatGPT before he killed his mother and then himself, with the chatbot frequently reinforcing his paranoid thoughts.[1]
OpenAI said it would cooperate with the investigation. In a statement, a company spokesperson noted that more than 900 million people use ChatGPT weekly and emphasized the company's commitment to safety: "We build ChatGPT to understand people's intent and respond in a safe and appropriate way, and we continue improving our technology."[1] The company also stated that after learning of the FSU shooting in late April 2025, it identified and reviewed the ChatGPT account believed to be associated with the alleged gunman.[5]