US EditionFlorida Probes OpenAI Over FSU Shooting
State officials say chat logs show ChatGPT gave the suspect advice on weapons and timing before the Florida State University shooting.
- On Tuesday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a criminal investigation into OpenAI, issuing subpoenas regarding ChatGPT's alleged assistance in the April 2025 Florida State University shooting that killed two people.
- Before the April 17, 2025, attack, accused shooter Phoenix Ikner engaged in 'constant communication' with ChatGPT, allegedly querying the chatbot about campus crowds, ammunition, and optimal timing for maximum casualties.
- Uthmeier alleged ChatGPT provided 'significant advice' on weapons and ammunition, citing Florida's aiding and abetting statute. 'If ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder,' Uthmeier said.
- OpenAI spokeswoman Kate Waters refuted liability, stating the company 'proactively shared information' with law enforcement and that ChatGPT provided only factual responses without encouraging illegal activity.
- The investigation signals a novel legal challenge for AI accountability, testing whether developers bear criminal responsibility for model outputs and potentially influencing broader regulatory and civil actions against AI firms.
294 Articles
294 Articles
Florida's prosecutors are investigating whether OpenAI is liable for criminal prosecution because ChatGPT is said to have helped a suspected shooter.
Florida Opens Criminal Probe Into ChatGPT's Role in School Shooting
In April 2025, a student opened fire on the campus of Florida State University, killing two and wounding seven. Investigators have since discovered that the suspect, 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, conducted extremely disturbing conversations with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, repeatedly asking about Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and outright inquiring how the country would “react” if “there was a shooting at FSU.” Ikner also asked the chatbot what weapon…
Conversations between the author of a fatal attack on a Florida campus and ChatGPT were discovered by the U.S. state prosecutor's office. The latter announced on Tuesday the opening of a criminal investigation on OpenAI and the conversational agent. The chatbot would have helped the shooter choose a suitable weapon. - OpenAI and ChatGPT targeted by a criminal investigation for advising the author of a killing in Florida (International).
If artificial intelligence were a human being, it would be charged with murder, says the prosecutor. The parent company OpenAI defends the chatbot: He only provided publicly available information.
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