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Florida Opens Criminal Probe Into OpenAI Over FSU Campus Shooting

The case tests whether a company can face criminal charges for harmful advice generated by an AI system.

Overview

  • Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier opened a criminal investigation into whether ChatGPT helped plan the 2025 Florida State University shooting.
  • Investigators are reviewing chat logs that show Phoenix Ikner asked about likely reactions to a campus shooting, peak hours at a student venue, and details on guns and ammunition.
  • The attorney general is seeking OpenAI’s internal records, including threat‑prevention policies, reporting guidelines, and model training materials.
  • OpenAI says ChatGPT did not encourage violence, argues its answers drew on public information, and says it has cooperated with law enforcement.
  • Uthmeier said a human who gave the same guidance would face murder charges, highlighting a novel bid to extend criminal liability to an AI maker, while prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty against Ikner for the 2025 attack.