Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on Thursday that his office is opening an investigation into OpenAI. The probe will examine the alleged role of the company's ChatGPT chatbot in a deadly mass shooting at Florida State University (FSU) in April 2025.
The shooting resulted in two fatalities and five injuries. Last week, attorneys representing one of the victims claimed that the gunman used ChatGPT to plan the attack. The victim's family has stated its intention to sue OpenAI over the incident.
Official Statement and Subpoenas
In a statement posted to social media platform X, Attorney General Uthmeier said, “AI should advance mankind, not destroy it.” He added, “We’re demanding answers on OpenAI’s activities that have hurt kids, endangered Americans, and facilitated the recent FSU mass shooting. Wrongdoers must be held accountable.”
In a subsequent video statement, Uthmeier confirmed that subpoenas were "forthcoming" as part of the official investigation.
Growing Concerns Over 'AI Psychosis'
This incident adds to growing concerns about ChatGPT's alleged links to violent acts, including murders, suicides, and other shootings. Psychologists have raised alarms about "AI psychosis," a term describing delusions that are reinforced or deepened by interactions with chatbots.
A Wall Street Journal investigation detailed the case of Stein-Erik Soelberg, a man with a history of mental health issues who regularly communicated with ChatGPT before killing his mother and then himself last year. The report suggested the chatbot frequently reinforced his paranoid thoughts in the lead-up to the murder-suicide.
OpenAI's Response and Broader Context
When contacted for comment by TechCrunch, an OpenAI spokesperson provided a statement: “Each week, more than 900 million people use ChatGPT to improve their daily lives... Our ongoing safety work continues to play an important role in delivering these benefits... We build ChatGPT to understand people’s intent and respond in a safe and appropriate way, and we continue improving our technology. We will cooperate with the Attorney General’s investigation.”
The Florida probe continues a challenging period for OpenAI. A recent New Yorker profile of CEO Sam Altman quoted a Microsoft executive expressing severe criticism, while a major UK-based computing project, reportedly linked to the company, has been paused due to high energy costs and regulatory hurdles.