Florida’s growing battle with Big Tech took a sharper turn Tuesday after state officials announced a criminal investigation into OpenAI over claims tied to the 2025 Florida State University mass shooting.
Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office has issued subpoenas seeking records about how OpenAI handles threats of violence, self-harm warnings, and communication with law enforcement. The move expands a previously announced civil probe into the company and its ChatGPT platform.
“We have been looking into the recent FSU shooting, and that shooter’s communications with ChatGPT,” Uthmeier said during a press conference.
“Our review of that communication has revealed that a criminal investigation is necessary.”
He then made even stronger allegations, claiming, “ChatGPT offered significant advice to the shooter before he committed such heinous crimes,” and added “that the chatbot advised the shooter on what type of gun to use, on which ammo went with which gun, on whether or not a gun would be useful in short range.”
Uthmeier did not hold back in describing the seriousness of the accusations.
“If this were a person on the other side of the screen, we would be charging them with murder,” he said. “We cannot have AI bots that are advising others on how to kill others.”
According to officials, the subpoenas request OpenAI policies, internal training materials, leadership charts, and information on employees connected to ChatGPT development.
OpenAI previously defended its platform in a statement, saying: “We build ChatGPT to understand people’s intent and respond in a safe and appropriate way, and we continue improving our technology.”
The company also said, “Our ongoing safety work continues to play an important role in delivering these benefits to everyday people, as well as supporting scientific research and discovery.”
Authorities say Phoenix Ikner, the suspect in the shooting, exchanged messages with ChatGPT shortly before the attack. Investigators cited questions allegedly sent to the chatbot, 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?”
Now, a case that started with tragedy is turning into a major legal test for AI accountability.
