Florida Attorney General Investigates OpenAI Over ChatGPT Role in Florida State University Shooting
Florida's Attorney General, James Uthmeier, announced on Tuesday that his office is pursuing a criminal investigation into OpenAI. The inquiry focuses on the potential role of its ChatGPT chatbot in the murder of two individuals during a mass shooting at Florida State University last year.
Uthmeier stated, "Our review has revealed that a criminal investigation is necessary. ChatGPT offered significant advice to this shooter before he committed such heinous crimes." He further alleged that ChatGPT provided the perpetrator with guidance on firearm types, ammunition, and optimal times and locations on campus to encounter a larger population.
An OpenAI spokesperson contended that "ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime," while confirming the company's cooperation with authorities and the proactive sharing of information concerning an account linked to the suspect. The spokesperson maintained that the chatbot "did not encourage or promote illegal or harmful activity," characterising its responses as "factual responses to questions with information that could be found broadly across public sources on the internet."
However, Uthmeier drew a stark comparison: "My prosecutors have looked at this, and they told me that if it was a person on the other end of that screen, we would be charging them with murder." Under Florida law, aiding, abetting, or counselling a crime makes an individual a "principal" in that offence. While acknowledging ChatGPT is not a person, Uthmeier emphasised the need to determine "criminal culpability" for OpenAI.
This investigation follows a separate incident earlier this year in British Columbia, where an 18-year-old committed a fatal shooting. OpenAI identified and banned the shooter's account but did not refer the matter to police, subsequently facing a lawsuit from the parents of an injured victim. The company has stated intentions to strengthen its safety measures.
In 2023, a coalition of 42 state attorney generals, including Uthmeier, sent a letter to 13 technology companies, including OpenAI, expressing concerns over the dangers of AI usage and advocating for "robust safety testing, recall procedures, and clear warnings to consumers."
