Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier says the state is launching an investigation into ChatGPT and its parent company, OpenAI, in connection with the Florida State University shooting incident.

Mr Uthmeier, in a video on his official X page on Thursday, acknowledged the importance of artificial intelligence but raised concerns about public safety and national security.

The attorney general, who said “subpoenas are forthcoming,” also noted ChatGPT’s alleged role in harm to children.

“Today, we launched an investigation into OpenAI and ChatGPT,” he said. “AI should advance mankind, not destroy it. We’re demanding answers on OpenAI’s activities that have hurt kids, endangered Americans, and facilitated the recent FSU mass shooting.”

Two people died, and five others were injured in the Florida State University shooting around 12:00 p.m. on April 17, 2025.

Mr Uthmeier also feared that OpenAI’s data could be misused by America’s enemies, as its platform had also been linked to “criminal behaviour, including child sex abuse material, use by child predators.”

“AI is built on its ability to gather data, and there are concerns about whether OpenAI’s data and AI technologies that could be used against America are falling into the hands of America’s enemies, such as the Chinese Communist Party. 

“We’ve also learned that ChatGPT may likely have been used to assist the murderer in the recent Maskell shooting at Florida State University that tragically took two lives,” said the attorney-general.

Mr Uthmeier maintained that while the use of AI supports mankind, it should not pose “an existential crisis or ultimate demise.”

“As big tech rolls out these technologies, they should not; they cannot put our safety and security at risk. 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 said.

Mr Utheier noted that companies found culpable would be held accountable and called on the Florida legislature to implement measures to safeguard children from “dangers of AI and to further empower my Office of Attorney General to fight these evils.”

The family of Robert Morales, a man killed during the incident at Florida State University, announced plans to sue ChatGPT over the gunman’s “constant communication” with the platform.

“We have been advised that the shooter was in constant communication with ChatGPT leading up to the shooting. We also have reason to believe that ChatGPT may have advised the shooter how to commit these heinous crimes,” lawyers for Mr Morale’s family said in a Facebook post.

“We will therefore file suit against ChatGPT and its ownership structure very soon and will seek to hold them accountable for the untimely and senseless death of our client, Mr Morales.”