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Florida Opens Criminal Probe Into OpenAI Over ChatGPT’s Role in 2025 FSU Shooting

Prosecutors are testing whether Florida’s accomplice law can apply to an AI company.

Overview

  • Florida’s attorney general opened a criminal investigation Tuesday into whether ChatGPT materially aided a fatal 2025 shooting at Florida State University.
  • Investigators say chat logs show the suspect asked the bot about which weapon to use, which ammunition fit which gun, short‑range effectiveness, and where and when crowds would be largest.
  • Prosecutors invoked a state law that treats those who assist or advise a crime as accomplices and demanded OpenAI’s safety rules, escalation procedures, and training materials.
  • OpenAI said it identified a ChatGPT account linked to the suspect and gave it to police, and it argues the bot only shared factual, publicly available information and did not encourage illegal acts.
  • The April 2025 attack killed two people and injured six, and legal experts say a criminal case against an AI firm would be rare and could set precedent for causation, intent, and corporate duty in generative AI.