Florida AG to investigate OpenAI, alleging possible connection to FSU shooting
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Thursday that his office will investigate OpenAI for its alleged harm to children, which could threaten national security, and its possible connection to the shooting that took place at Florida State University last year.
“ChatGPT may have been used to assist the killer in the recent shooting incident at Florida State University that claimed the lives of two people,” said Attorney General Uthmeier in a video posted on social media.
On the day of the FSU shooting last April, the suspect allegedly asked ChatGPT how the country would react to the FSU shooting, and what time would be the busiest for the FSU student union. These messages may be used as evidence against the suspect in the October shooting case.
The attorney general cited other concerns about ChatGPT’s encouragement of suicide in certain circumstances, documented in several lawsuits brought by families against OpenAI. He also expressed his concern that the Chinese Communist Party could use OpenAI technology against the United States.
“As big technology releases this technology, it should not – cannot – put our safety and security at risk,” he said. “We support innovation. But that does not give any company the right to endanger our children, commit crimes, empower America’s enemies, or threaten our national security.”
He also called on the Florida legislature to “act quickly” to protect children from the negative effects of AI.
“Each week, more than 900 million people use ChatGPT to improve their daily lives through applications such as learning new skills or navigating complex health systems,” an OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement to TechCrunch. “Our ongoing security work continues to play an important role in bringing these benefits to everyday people, as well as supporting scientific research and discovery.”
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OpenAI added that it has built and continues to improve ChatGPT to understand user intent and respond in appropriate, safe ways. The company said it would cooperate with the Florida attorney general’s investigation.
On Wednesday, OpenAI launched its Child Safety Blueprint, which includes policy recommendations designed to improve child safety as it relates to AI.
The move comes as chatbot makers face pressure to address their potential role in creating child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to a recent report from the Internet Watch Foundation, there were more than 8,000 CSAM reports generated by AI in the first half of 2025, which means a 14% year-over-year increase.
The OpenAI blueprint recommends revising the law to protect against abusive AI-generated content, streamlining the reporting process, and establishing better safeguards against the misuse of AI tools.
