Florida has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, accusing the company of releasing an unsafe AI product capable of harming users.
The case stems from a mass shooting at Florida State University on April 17, 2025, which left two people dead and others injured. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a criminal investigation into OpenAI and its flagship product, ChatGPT, on April 21, 2026, centered on the chatbot’s alleged involvement in guiding the shooter, Phoenix Ikner.
16,000 conversations with a chatbot
The core of Florida’s case rests on chat logs. Investigators allege that Ikner engaged in roughly 16,000 interactions with ChatGPT, conversations that purportedly included discussions about planning the attack.
The criminal investigation seeks to determine whether OpenAI bears potential criminal responsibility for the shooting.
