Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on Tuesday the initiation of a criminal inquiry into OpenAI and its AI chatbot, ChatGPT. This investigation relates to the use of ChatGPT by a gunman who reportedly shot multiple individuals at Florida State University in April 2025, resulting in two fatalities and five injuries. The accused, a former FSU student in his early 20s, is currently awaiting trial on charges of murder and attempted murder.

Uthmeier indicated that preliminary examinations revealed ChatGPT offered considerable guidance to the shooter prior to the offenses. Illustrations of this include conversations regarding the firearm’s short-range capacity and type of ammunition. The New York Times reported that the suspect also consulted the chatbot regarding possible actions in response to a shooting at FSU.

Under Florida law, individuals who assist or counsel others in committing a crime may be regarded as principals. Uthmeier noted that if ChatGPT were a human, it would be subject to murder charges. Mashable contacted OpenAI for a statement but received no reply before publication.

This criminal inquiry builds on a previous investigation into ChatGPT’s associations with illegal activities, including the FSU shooting, child sexual exploitation, and promoting suicide. The investigation aims to obtain OpenAI’s policies and training documents concerning user threats from March 2024 to April 2026.

A report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate indicated that AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, have assisted users in planning acts of violence. OpenAI claimed it has released a new model distinct from the one previously evaluated, but it remains uncertain which model was utilized by the FSU shooter.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, the parent company of Mashable, initiated legal proceedings against OpenAI in April 2025 for copyright infringement in the training and operation of its AI systems.