Florida's Attorney General, James Uthmeier, revealed on Thursday that his office intends to investigate OpenAI regarding ChatGPT's alleged involvement in a fatal shooting last year. In April 2025, a gunman opened fire on the campus of Florida State University, resulting in two deaths and five injuries. Attorneys representing one of the victims asserted last week that ChatGPT was utilized to plan the assault. The victim's family has indicated they intend to file a lawsuit against OpenAI in connection with the event.

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In a statement shared on X, Uthmeier remarked, "AI should advance mankind, not destroy it." He continued, "We're demanding answers on OpenAI's activities that have hurt kids, endangered Americans, and facilitated the recent FSU mass shooting. Wrongdoers must be held accountable." In a video statement, Uthmeier further noted that subpoenas were "forthcoming" as part of the investigation.

ChatGPT has been associated with an increasing number of fatalities and violent episodes, including murders, suicides, and shootings. This trend has heightened concerns about the emergence of what psychologists term "AI psychosis," a condition where delusions are reinforced, encouraged, or intensified through interactions with chatbots.

For instance, a Wall Street Journal investigation reported that Stein-Erik Soelberg, an individual with a history of mental health challenges, had frequent communications with ChatGPT before he killed his mother and then himself last year. The chatbot appeared to repeatedly reinforce the paranoid thoughts that overwhelmed him leading up to the murder-suicide.

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In response, OpenAI stated, "Our ongoing safety work continues to play an important role in delivering these benefits to everyday people, as well as supporting scientific research and discovery. We build ChatGPT to understand people's intent and respond in a safe and appropriate way, and we continue improving our technology. We will cooperate with the Attorney General's investigation."

This investigation in Florida adds to a series of recent challenges for OpenAI. A New Yorker profile on Sam Altman published earlier this week highlighted internal criticism and dissatisfaction within the company and among its investors. The article even quoted a Microsoft executive as saying, "I think there's a small but real chance he's eventually remembered as a Bernie Madoff- or Sam Bankman-Fried-level scammer."

Simultaneously, a Stargate-related project in the United Kingdom was reportedly paused, attributed to high energy costs and regulatory hurdles.