Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has opened a criminal investigation into OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, marking the first time a state has pursued criminal charges against an AI company over user actions.
The probe stems from an April 17, 2025 mass shooting at Florida State University that killed two people-Tiru Chabba and Robert Morales-and wounded six others. The accused shooter, student Phoenix Ikner, allegedly engaged in over 16,000 interactions with ChatGPT in the lead-up to the attack, including discussions about firearms and timing.
The state's legal theory is novel: that the AI company bears criminal responsibility for providing a "roadmap" to the shooter, despite not pulling the trigger. OpenAI maintains ChatGPT is not responsible for user actions. Legal experts say the outcome could set a precedent for AI liability.
Separately, the Chabba family filed a civil wrongful-death lawsuit in federal court on May 11, 2026 against OpenAI, Altman, and the shooter.