The Florida AG announced an investigation into OpenAI regarding the shooting allegedly related to ChatGPT

Florida Attorney General James Othmeyer announced Thursday that his office intends to investigate OpenAI over ChatGPT’s alleged role in a fatal shooting last year.

In April 2025, a gunman opened fire on the Florida State University campus, killing two and wounding five. Last week, the attorney for one of the shooting victims He claimed it ChatGPT was used to plan the attack. The victim’s family said they… It plans to sue OpenAI over the incident.

“AI should advance humanity, not destroy it,” Othmeier said. In a statement “We demand answers about OpenAI’s activities that harmed children, endangered Americans, and facilitated the recent mass shooting in the SFU. Those at fault must be held accountable.” Othmeyer added in a video that subpoenas were “coming” as part of the investigation.

ChatGPT has been linked to Increasing numbers of deaths and violent incidents — including murders, suicides and shootings — and has heightened concerns about the visibility of what psychologists do It’s called “AI psychosis.” Delusions that are reinforced, encouraged or deepened by communication with chatbots.

For example, Stein Erik Solberg, a man with a history of mental health problems, regularly communicated with ChatGPT before he killed his mother and then himself last year, according to the Wall Street Journal. investigation. Chatbots seem to do this quite often Enhancing paranoid thoughts That consumed him in the period leading up to the murder-suicide.

When reached for comment by TechCrunch, an OpenAI spokesperson provided the following statement: “Every week, more than 900 million people use ChatGPT to improve their daily lives through uses such as learning new skills or navigating complex healthcare systems. Our ongoing work in safety continues to play an important role in delivering these benefits to everyday people, as well as supporting scientific research and discovery. We are building ChatGPT to understand people’s intentions and respond in a safe and appropriate way, and we continue to improve our technology. We will collaborate with Attorney General Investigation.”

The Florida probe continues a streak of bad luck for OpenAI. A New Yorker profile Sam Altman’s report published earlier this week showed criticism and discontent within the company and among its investors, even citing a Microsoft executive. As he says: “I think there is a small but real chance that he will eventually be remembered as a con man on the level of Bernie Madoff or Sam Bankman Fried.” Meanwhile, there is a Stargate-related project in the UK Had to stop temporarilyThis is said to be due to high energy costs and regulation.