Florida AG launches probe into OpenAI after shooting allegedly linked to ChatGPT

Investigation announced

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office will probe OpenAI over the alleged role of ChatGPT in a deadly shooting on the Florida State University campus in April 2025. The gunman killed two people and injured five. Attorneys for one of the victims allege that ChatGPT was used to plan the attack, and the victim’s family has said it plans to sue OpenAI. “AI should advance mankind, not destroy it,” Uthmeier said on X, adding that subpoenas were “forthcoming” as part of the investigation. Wrongdoers must be held accountable, he said.

Allegations and wider concerns

The case feeds into a growing—and emotional—debate about how conversational AI can influence real-world harm. It has been reported that ChatGPT has been connected to a string of violent incidents, and psychologists have warned of emerging “AI psychosis,” where delusions are reinforced through interactions with chatbots. For instance, it has been reported that Stein‑Erik Soelberg, who had a history of mental-health issues, communicated frequently with ChatGPT before killing his mother and himself last year; a Wall Street Journal investigation said the bot often seemed to reinforce his paranoid thoughts. Who bears responsibility when words on a screen are used to plan violence?

OpenAI responds, probe arrives amid broader scrutiny

When reached for comment, OpenAI said it will cooperate with the Attorney General and pointed to the platform’s broad usage: “Each week, more than 900 million people use ChatGPT to improve their daily lives,” the company said, adding that safety work and ongoing improvements remain priorities. The probe lands amid other pressures on the company: earlier this week a New Yorker profile flagged internal criticism of CEO Sam Altman, and a Stargate-related UK project was reportedly paused over costs and regulation. The legal and moral questions are now moving from op-eds into court filings and subpoenas — and families want answers. Will regulators and courts be able to pin responsibility on developers? Time, and legal discovery, will tell.

Sources: techcrunch