ChatGPT is alleged to have assisted in planning a shooting case, investigated by the U.S. state of Florida! Attorney General: AI should not be used to destroy humanity

Florida prosecutors have launched an investigation into OpenAI, suspecting ChatGPT of helping to plan a campus shooting, and involving national security and concerns about minors harming themselves. OpenAI denies the allegations, stressing that more than 900 million people use it safely every week, and that it will cooperate with the investigation to prevent AI-related crimes.

U.S. Florida investigates OpenAI, suspects ChatGPT helped plan a shooting

According to a report by Axios, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the local prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into OpenAI. The reasons for investigating the company include concerns about national security, as well as the role ChatGPT is suspected to have played in assisting the perpetrator’s planning of the crime in last year’s University of Florida shooting case. The scope of the investigation is not yet clear, but prosecutors will issue subpoenas.

In a video he posted on the social platform X, Uthmeier said, AI should promote human development, not be used to destroy humanity. He emphasized that the state government requires OpenAI to provide an explanation regarding harm to children’s rights, as well as activities that endanger public safety and contribute to shootings.

The University of Florida shooting case left two dead and five injured

Uthmeier said ChatGPT is linked to cases involving self-harm and suicide by minors. He explained that in the University of Florida shooting on April 17, 2025 that resulted in two deaths and five injuries, the shooter, Phoenix Ikner, may have used the tool to plan the attack.

He also expressed concern about the risk that OpenAI’s data could be used by the Chinese government, and said that when technology companies roll out new technologies, they cannot place the public’s safety in jeopardy. He stressed that no company has the right to harm children, encourage crime, or threaten national security, and that companies that violate the rules will face legal accountability.

OpenAI emphasizes product safety; the industry faces strict scrutiny

In response to the accusations, OpenAI issued a statement rebutting that ChatGPT helped plan the shooting and highlighted its efforts on safety measures.

A spokesperson for OpenAI said that more than 900 million people use ChatGPT every week to improve their lives, covering everything from learning new skills to navigating medical systems, and that OpenAI’s ongoing safety work plays a key role in delivering benefits to the public and supporting scientific research.

OpenAI pledged to cooperate with the investigation, emphasizing that its original intent is to understand user intent and respond in a safe manner.

The investigation into OpenAI in Florida reflects that the AI industry is facing heightened scrutiny. Robots such as Google’s Gemini and Grok developed by Musk’s (Elon Musk) xAI have recently been criticized for how they respond to warnings about dangerous content.

Among them, Grok and the X platform (formerly Twitter) have drawn controversy as well, particularly due to a one-click image-editing feature that has been accused of enabling the production and spread of content involving sexual exploitation of minors.

• Related report: **Grok generates over 20k images in 11 days of sexual content involving minors! The EU launches an investigation; potential penalty up to 6% of annual revenue

OpenAI pushes safety framework; Florida updates laws to plug loopholes

The day before Florida in the U.S. announced the start of its investigation, OpenAI said it had already worked with the AI working group of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and a coalition of attorneys general to develop a prevention framework. Meanwhile, Florida’s legislature passed House Bill 245 earlier this year.

The bill updates state law, clearly adopts terminology related to child sexual abuse materials, thereby addressing illegal AI-generated content and filling in gaps. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill on April 1.

Further reading:
The main suspect in South Korea’s largest sex exploitation case gets life imprisonment! 261 victims—on the scale of more than N rooms; Telegram first assists Korean police in investigations