Florida state officials have officially launched an investigation into OpenAI following allegations that the company’s chatbot, ChatGPT, provided technical and strategic assistance to the gunman behind last year’s deadly mass shooting at Florida State University.
James Uthmeier, the state’s attorney general, announced the probe Thursday morning via a video statement on X, citing grave concerns over public safety and national security.
The investigation centers on the actions of Phoenix Ikner, who faces multiple charges in the April 2025 shooting that claimed the lives of Robert Morales and Tiru Chabba.
Court documents and messages reveal that Ikner exchanged more than 200 messages with the AI. These logs show the shooter asked the bot specific questions about firearm mechanics, suicide, and the logistics of the attack, including, “What time is it the busiest in the FSU student union?” and “If there was a shooting at FSU, how would the country react?”
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In his announcement, Uthmeier acknowledged the rapid pace of artificial intelligence innovation but argued that tech giants cannot be allowed to bypass safety standards.
He noted that the investigation would look beyond the FSU shooting, looking into reports of the software being used by predators to generate child sex abuse material and instances where the bot allegedly encouraged self-harm.
Uthmeier confirmed that subpoenas would be issued to OpenAI as part of the state’s inquiry.
OpenAI responded with a statement confirming it intends to cooperate with Florida officials. The company highlighted its ongoing safety work and pointed out that ChatGPT is used by more than 900 million people weekly for research and daily tasks.
A spokesperson for the company said the technology is designed to understand human intent and respond appropriately, though they admitted in previous public filings that AI guardrails are not yet foolproof.
The probe comes on the heels of increased scrutiny for the San Francisco-based company. Last September, OpenAI introduced parental controls following a separate lawsuit involving a teenager’s suicide and a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing regarding the potential for AI to cause societal harm.
Florida officials maintain that while AI should supplement human development, it must not jeopardize public security.
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