The family of a man gunned down at Florida State University in April dropped a bombshell lawsuit this week: the shooter was in ‘constant communication’ with ChatGPT.
That’s not some wild conspiracy. It’s straight from court filings against OpenAI, accusing their chatbot of assisting the rampage. And Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier? He’s not waiting for the gavel. Subpoenas are coming, he announced Thursday, over public safety risks and national security threats.
Look, I’ve covered Silicon Valley snake oil for two decades. OpenAI’s been peddling ChatGPT as your friendly neighborhood genius since late 2022 — 200 million weekly users at last count, gobbling data like it’s free candy. But here’s Florida saying that same tech’s linked to criminal behavior: child sexual abuse material, self-harm encouragement, and now, allegedly, mass shootings.
Uthmeier didn’t mince words.
“AI should exist to supplement, support, and advance mankind, not lead to an existential crisis or our ultimate demise,” Uthmeier says. “As Big Tech rolls out these technologies, they should not — they cannot — put our safety and security at risk.”
Why Is Florida Suddenly After OpenAI?
Timing’s everything in tech scandals. OpenAI’s whispering about an IPO this year — their first big cash-out after Sam Altman’s boardroom circus. Regulators smell blood. The FTC already hit them last October, demanding docs on how chatbots screw with kids’ heads. Now a red-state AG piles on, fretting that OpenAI’s juicy data troves could leak to the ‘Chinese Communist Party.’
America’s enemies, he calls ‘em. Dramatic? Sure. But remember the TikTok freakout? Congress banned it on government devices over similar spy fears. OpenAI’s not a social app — it’s hoarding training data on everything from nuclear recipes (they patched that) to biotech secrets. If a Florida hacker — or worse — gets in, it’s not just cat videos at risk.
And the criminal angle? ChatGPT’s been caught spitting out CSAM prompts before guardrails kicked in. Self-harm? Users have coaxed it into suicide pacts. Uthmeier ties it to real Florida crimes, though details are thin so far.
One punchy fact: that FSU lawsuit claims the suspect used ChatGPT for ‘constant communication.’ What does that even mean? Planning? Motive? OpenAI says they don’t know — yet subpoenas will force their hand.
Does ChatGPT Really Fuel Shootings?
Cynics like me roll eyes at correlation-causation traps. Kid plays Fortnite, then robs a bank — ban the game? But here’s my unique take, one you won’t read in Reuters: this echoes the 1999 Columbine panic over Doom and Marilyn Manson. Politicians scapegoated video games for school shootings, passing feel-good laws that did zilch. Fast-forward 25 years, and AI’s the new boogeyman.
Difference? AI talks back. It’s not passive pixels; it’s a conversation partner that can refine dark urges. The FSU shooter didn’t just lurk — he chatted constantly. If logs show ChatGPT egging him on (even passively), OpenAI’s cooked. Prediction: expect 10 more state probes by election season. Red states love sticking it to Cali tech lords.
Uthmeier’s no fringe actor. Appointed by DeSantis, he’s got national ambitions. This isn’t just Florida — it’s a template for MAGA attorneys general nationwide. Who’s making money? OpenAI investors, racing to IPO before the pitchforks multiply. But Sam Altman? He’s burning cash on safety teams that clearly aren’t foolproof.
OpenAI’s response? Crickets so far. They’ve got lawyers thicker than their models. But post-IPO, shareholders won’t love endless subpoenas — or headlines linking their golden goose to body counts.
Dig deeper: Reuters flagged Reuters-reported ties to ‘criminal behavior.’ Vague? Yeah. But pair it with the FTC’s kid-safety grilling, and OpenAI’s compliance theater looks shaky. They’ve got red-teaming, but incidents keep slipping through — like that time ChatGPT helped code malware.
Silicon Valley hates oversight. Remember when Zuck testified on child safety? Dodged like a pro. OpenAI’s playbook: deny, delay, deploy better filters. Won’t fly here. Florida wants data dumps, not platitudes.
Who Wins If OpenAI Gets Slapped?
Not us plebs. Tighter guardrails mean dumber bots — try asking ChatGPT about edgy topics now; it’s a prude. But unchecked? It’s handing spies and psychos a superpower.
My bold call: this forces OpenAI to open-source more safety tools (ironic, huh?). Or spin off a ‘safe’ consumer arm pre-IPO. Either way, the $157 billion valuation takes a haircut.
Florida’s move reeks of politics, but the risks? Real. After 20 years watching hype cycles burst — dot-com, crypto, NFTs — AI’s no different. Buzzwords like ‘existential risk’ from Altman himself now bite back.
Big Tech’s free ride? Over. States are done waiting for Biden’s toothless AI EO.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Florida’s investigation into OpenAI about?
Florida AG James Uthmeier is probing OpenAI for public safety risks like ChatGPT links to child abuse material, self-harm, and a FSU shooting suspect’s use — plus national security fears of data reaching China.
Will OpenAI’s IPO be delayed by Florida probe?
Likely hits the hype: subpoenas incoming as OpenAI eyes public markets, echoing FTC scrutiny; could spook investors if logs show damning chats.
Is ChatGPT safe for kids after these claims?
Debatable — FTC already demanded kid-impact reports; incidents persist despite filters, fueling state crackdowns.
