&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Murder suspect: ChatGPT? Florida launches probe against OpenAI chatbot - Here's why")
Is ChatGPT to blame for last year's mass shooting at Florida State University? Florida on Tuesday (Apr 21) launched a criminal probe against the chatbot and its maker, commenting that if it were a person, ChatGPT would've been facing murder charges. But what did the chatbot do? The decision to launch a criminal investigation comes after prosecutors stumbled upon exchanges between ChatGPT and Phoenix Ikner, the suspected Florida State University shooter who killed two people and injured six in a mass shooting on April 17, 2025.
Murder suspect: ChatGPT?
According to Florida State Attorney General James Uthmeier, prosecutors have reviewed exchanges between the alleged suspect and the chatbot. Surprisingly, they found that ChatGPT advised the shooter on things like what type of gun and ammunition to use as well as where and when on campus a lot of people would likely be found.
"If ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder," said Uthmeier. He noted that Florida law allows for anyone who assists or counsels someone in carrying out a crime as an "aider and abettor" bearing the same responsibility as the perpetrator".
OpenAI shrugs off responsibility
Trending Stories
)
Ranbir Kapoor-Yash's Ramayana trailer postponed, producer cites Sony Pictures deal as reason
)
India avoids higher US tariff, secures lower 10% rate. Here's how
)
India invites Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman to BRICS Summit
)
He predicted COVID-19 and 2008 economic crisis, was labeled fearmonger. Now he has another dire warning
)
Ukrainian drone wrecks irreplaceable Russian bomber 800km inside the country, satellite images show it halved
)
Scientists decode rare metal that allows China's radar satellite to spy over Asia Pacific
)
Maharashtra Bandh call on July 23: What all you need to know
)
ICC ODI Rankings: Joe Root jumps big, India trio close in on No. 1 spot
)
CJP to hold talks with Centre at 12:30 pm – Where will the meeting take place? Details here
)
'Most important foundation': Dharmendra Pradhan's long note on 'school education' amid calls for his resignation
)
WATCH: Sonam Wangchuk ends hunger strike after meeting Union Ministers JP Nadda, Jitendra Singh
)
Russia-Ukraine war: Zelensky says Trump meeting could come soon
)
NEET Protests riddled with misinformation? Delhi Police block 480 Pakistan-based handles spreading 'fake news' since Operation Sindoor
)
Delhi Police chief gets NSA detention powers but force denies link to CJP protests
)
Russia-Ukraine war escalates| Zelensky pushes patriot missile production as Black sea crisis deepens
)
US-Iran War: Iran destroys US Patriot Air-Defence System
)
'George Soros playbook': Understanding the foreign funding network around Sonam Wangchuk
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (July 24, 2026): Musafir Cafe, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya, Pallichattambi- Watch these 6 titles on Netflix, Prime Video and more
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the S-400 fires its missiles straight up into the air
)
'Enemies of the nation...': Sonia Gandhi breaks silence on NEET protest, slams PM Modi's 'cowardice and wanton cruelty'
)
Will India switch to plastic currency? Why RBI wants to replace paper currency, and what it means for your wallet | WION Decodes
)
'Oh my god!' Orca deliberately rams into sunfish so hard that it exploded. For food or fun?
)
Commonwealth Games 2026: India's medal hopes suffer after doping woes
)
FIFA 2026 | 'I am truly sorry': Argentina's Enzo Fernandez, who get red card in final, reacts to loss
)
Man with babyish face spends Rs 10 lakh on beard transplant to be taken seriously at work
)
Iran flew IRGC men, advisers and military gear to Yemen, bolstered Houthis for Red Sea blockade: Sources
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why US fighter jets use seamless bubble canopies compared to Russian jets
)
‘Stole the show’: Young man’s uncanny imitation of Trump leaves internet stunned | WATCH
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the specialized paint on an S-400 costs thousands of dollars per truck
)
Iran threatens UK airbase after US Strikes | RAF Fairford faces warning as Middle East war escalates
'Sonam, it’s done, bro. Don’t extend this': Salman Khan now urges protesting students to go home, offers Wangchuk home cooked food to end fast
)
In a statement, ChatGPT maker OpenAI said that the shooting was a tragedy, but insisted that "ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime."
"ChatGPT provided factual responses to questions with information that could be found broadly across public sources on the internet, and it did not encourage or promote illegal or harmful activity," said a company spokesperson. They also noted that OpenAI voluntarily identified the ChatGPT account of the suspected shooter and shared it with the police.
Florida ventures into 'uncharted history'
Uthmeier conceded that "here with AI, we are venturing into uncharted territory". He insisted that it was necessary to "know whether or not OpenAI has criminal liability."
Prosecutors will dig into how much OpenAI knew about the potential for "dangerous behaviour" involving ChatGPT and what could have been done to mitigate that risk, said Uthmeier. "We cannot have AI bots that are advising people on how to kill others," the state attorney general said.
