Florida Investigates OpenAI After ChatGPT Linked to FSU Campus Shooting Suspect

The Florida Attorney General’s office has begun a criminal investigation into OpenAI after authorities reviewed conversation logs between ChatGPT and a Florida State University (FSU) student charged in connection with a deadly shooting on campus last April.

Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the investigation at a news conference on Tuesday, outlining that prosecutors examined the messages exchanged between Phoenix Ikner, the accused shooter, and the artificial intelligence chatbot. Ikner faces two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder, according to court records. His trial is set for October.

According to Uthmeier, ChatGPT advised Ikner on technical questions related to firearms, including recommendations about types of guns and their effectiveness at close range. Uthmeier stated that his office would be issuing subpoenas to OpenAI for records on its response protocols, training materials for handling user threats, and procedures for cooperating with law enforcement in criminal investigations.

OpenAI responded that it had identified an account believed to be associated with the suspect and provided relevant information to law enforcement. The company emphasized that ChatGPT gives fact-based responses available from public online sources and said it did not promote or encourage criminal activity. In a statement, OpenAI called the FSU shooting a tragedy but denied responsibility for the suspect’s actions, while pledging to continue its efforts to detect and restrict harmful use of its technologies.

Investigators shared excerpts of alleged chat logs showing Ikner asking ChatGPT about the lethality of shotgun shells, security protocols in prisons for school shooters, the likelihood of media coverage for multiple victims on campus, and when the FSU student union was busiest. These exchanges occurred prior to the shooting incident at the university.

The investigation is ongoing, with Florida authorities seeking further information about OpenAI's role and compliance in preventing misuse of generative AI.