Florida AG Launches Criminal Probe into OpenAI Over ChatGPT’s Role in 2025 FSU Shooting

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the state’s Office of Statewide Prosecution has launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI and its AI assistant, ChatGPT.

The investigation stems from the alleged use of ChatGPT by the suspect in the 2025 mass shooting at Florida State University. According to Uthmeier, Florida law holds individuals accountable not only for direct involvement in a crime but also for aiding, abetting, or counseling its commission.

"Florida law states that 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."

This legal interpretation suggests that responses provided by ChatGPT to the shooter could be viewed as the AI assistant facilitating criminal activity.

OpenAI’s Response to the Investigation

OpenAI issued a statement addressing the allegations:

"Last year's mass shooting at Florida State University was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime. After learning of the incident, we identified a ChatGPT account believed to be associated with the suspect and proactively shared this information with law enforcement. We continue to cooperate with authorities. 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. ChatGPT is a general-purpose tool used by hundreds of millions of people every day for legitimate purposes. We work continuously to strengthen our safeguards to detect harmful intent, limit misuse, and respond appropriately when safety risks arise."

Florida’s Subpoena Demands

As part of the investigation, Florida has issued a subpoena to OpenAI, requesting:

• All policies and internal training materials related to handling threats of harm to others or oneself
• OpenAI’s response protocols for law enforcement requests
• OpenAI’s organizational chart
• All publicly released statements regarding the 2025 Florida State University shooting

Uthmeier’s Stance on AI Accountability

"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. This criminal investigation will determine whether OpenAI bears criminal responsibility for ChatGPT's actions in the shooting at Florida State University last year."

OpenAI’s Prior Legal and Regulatory Scrutiny

This is not the first time OpenAI has faced scrutiny over AI’s role in criminal activity. Canadian regulators previously called for changes to OpenAI’s threat-handling policies after a Wall Street Journal report revealed that the company flagged a Canadian shooting suspect’s account in 2025 but failed to report the threats to law enforcement. OpenAI agreed to new policies for collaborating with Canadian authorities in March 2025.

Additionally, OpenAI is currently defending a wrongful death lawsuit from 2025, which alleges the company’s AI tools contributed to the suicide of a teenage user.