Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced On Thursday, his office will investigate OpenAI’s alleged harm to minors, threats to national security and possible links to it. Shooting That happened last year at Florida State University.
“ChatGPT may have been used to assist the shooter in the recent mass school shooting at Florida State University that tragically claimed two lives,” Attorney General Athmeier said in a video posted on social media.
On the day of the FSU shooting last April, the suspect reportedly asked ChatGPT What will be the country’s reaction to the shooting at FSU, and what will be the busiest times in the FSU student union? The messages could potentially be used as evidence against the suspect in the October trial over the shooting.
The attorney general cited further concerns about ChatGPT encouraging suicide in certain cases, documented in several lawsuits brought by families against OpenAI. He also mentioned his concern that the Chinese Communist Party could use OpenAI’s technology against the United States.
“As big tech develops these technologies, they shouldn’t — they can’t — put our safety and security at risk,” he said. “We support innovation. But that doesn’t give any company the right to endanger our children, facilitate criminal activity, empower America’s enemies, or threaten our national security.”
He also called on the Florida Legislature to “act quickly” to protect children from the negative effects of AI.
“Each week, more than 900 million people use ChatGPT to improve their daily lives, such as learning new skills or navigating complex healthcare systems,” an OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement to TechCrunch. “Our ongoing conservation work is instrumental in bringing these benefits to everyday people, as well as supporting scientific research and discovery.”
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OpenAI added that it builds and improves ChatGPT to understand user intent and respond in appropriate, secure ways. The company said it would cooperate with the Florida attorney general’s investigation.
On Wednesday, OpenAI unveiled its Child Safety Blueprint, which includes policy recommendations designed to improve child safety as it relates to AI.
The action comes as chatbot makers face pressure to counter their potential role in creating child sexual exploitation material (CSAM). According to a recent report by Internet Watch Foundationthere were more than 8,000 AI-generated CSAM reports in the first half of 2025, representing a 14% year-over-year increase.
OpenAI’s blueprint recommends updating legislation to protect against AI-generated abusive content, improving reporting processes to law enforcement, and implementing better safeguards to prevent misuse of AI tools.