On Tuesday, Florida authorities launched a high-stakes criminal probe into OpenAI, examining whether its chatbot ChatGPT played any role in last year’s deadly shooting at Florida State University.
Florida Opens Probe Into OpenAI Over Deadly Campus Shooting
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said the state has initiated a criminal investigation into OpenAI and its chatbot ChatGPT following a mass shooting at Florida State University that left two people dead and six injured last April.
The suspect was shot by police, hospitalized and later charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.
Allegations: ChatGPT Provided Gun-Related Information
Uthmeier alleged the gunman may have used ChatGPT to seek guidance on firearms, including what type of weapon to use, compatible ammunition and its effectiveness at close range.
“If ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder,” Uthmeier stated in a press release.
On X, he said, “AI is supposed to advance mankind, not lead to its demise,” adding, “We have a duty to investigate whether OpenAI bears criminal responsibility for ChatGPT’s advising of the deadly FSU shooter last year.”
His office has issued a subpoena seeking records from OpenAI as part of the probe into whether the company could bear criminal responsibility.
OpenAI Responds, Denies Responsibility
In a statement, OpenAI said the incident was tragic but maintained it is not liable, Reuters reported.
A company spokesperson said ChatGPT provided “factual responses” based on widely available public information and “did not encourage or promote illegal or harmful activity.”
The company added that it identified an account potentially linked to the suspect and “proactively shared this information with law enforcement.”
OpenAI did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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