Share and Follow
The Office of the Attorney General has released an important statement from Tallahassee, Florida, revealing a significant development in the realm of artificial intelligence and law enforcement. Attorney General James Uthmeier has declared that the Office of Statewide Prosecution is now conducting a criminal investigation into the AI technology company, OpenAI, specifically targeting its popular application, ChatGPT. This probe has been initiated following a detailed examination of chat logs between ChatGPT and Phoenix Ikner, the individual responsible for last year’s tragic shooting at Florida State University.
Attorney General Uthmeier emphasized Florida’s pioneering role in addressing the potential misuse of artificial intelligence in criminal activities. He stated, “If ChatGPT were a human, it would be facing murder charges.” The investigation aims to ascertain whether OpenAI could be held criminally accountable for the actions that led to the violent incident at the university.
Reinforcing the gravity of the situation, Mark Glass, Commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, highlighted the necessity of public awareness regarding the potential dangers posed by emerging technologies. He remarked, “Understanding the risks associated with this new technology is crucial for safeguarding ourselves and our communities from various threats, including scams and more severe crimes.”
Under Florida law, individuals who assist or encourage the commission of a crime may be deemed as culpable as the person who directly perpetrates the offense. This legal stance classifies such individuals as “aiders and abettors,” holding them equally accountable for the crime.
Florida law states that anyone who aids, abets, or counsels someone in the commission of a crime, and that crime is committed or attempted, may be considered a principal to the crime. The “aider and abettor” is just as responsible for the crime as the perpetrator.
The Office of Statewide Prosecution subpoenaed OpenAI for the following information:
Beginning March 1, 2024, through April 17, 2026:
• All policies and internal training materials regarding user threats of harm to others.
• All policies and internal training materials regarding user threats of harm to self.
• All policies and internal training materials regarding cooperation with law enforcement, including policies for the reporting of possible past, present, or future crime.
• If multiple policies were in place during this time period and changed, all policies and dates of change.
For the dates of March 1, 2024, October 1, 2024, and April 17, 2025:
• Organizational Chart listing executives, directors, department heads, and/or senior managers of OpenAI.
• A listing of all employees, including affiliated departments and titles or role description(s), within ChatGPT.
Relating to the FSU Shooting on April 17, 2025:
• Any and all media publicly released.
• Any and all publicly released statements, including but not limited to, press releases and media interviews.
Florida has already taken significant action on combating crimes related to the use of AI. This action includes a 135-year prison sentence for a predator who possessed child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), some of which were AI-generated; another child predator is currently facing 100 criminal charges, including 46 counts of AI-generated CSAM.
In March 2026, Attorney General Uthmeier joined Governor DeSantis for the signing of HB 1159, which increased the penalty for AI-generated CSAM to a second-degree felony.