In Brief
- Florida filed the first state-led lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, claiming ChatGPT aided multiple murders and drove users to suicide.
- The 83-page complaint alleges OpenAI suppressed safety warnings and marketed a dangerous product to children while prioritizing profit.
- Florida AG James Uthmeier seeks to hold Altman personally liable and force compliance under the state’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Florida became the first U.S. state to sue OpenAI over ChatGPT’s alleged role in real-world violence, filing an 83-page complaint in state court on Monday. The lawsuit names both OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman as defendants.
Attorney General James Uthmeier accused the company of deploying a product that has aided mass shooters and driven vulnerable users to suicide, while marketing it as safe — including to children.
“OpenAI and Altman ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians,” Uthmeier said in a press release.
ChatGPT and the Body Count
The complaint documents at least four violent incidents linked to ChatGPT in Florida. Two people were killed in the April 2025 Florida State University shooting, where the gunman consulted ChatGPT before the attack. Two USF graduate students — Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon — were murdered by a suspect who asked ChatGPT how to dispose of bodies and change VIN numbers, TechCrunch reports.
Beyond Florida, the complaint cites the February school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, Canada, that killed 9 people. Altman later apologized for not alerting law enforcement about the shooter’s ChatGPT logs. A California teenager named Adam Raine took his own life after discussing suicide methods with the chatbot, as Frontierbeat reported.
OpenAI responded without mentioning the attorney general, pointing instead to its child safety features. The company previously told NBC News that ChatGPT “is not responsible for this terrible crime.” Florida is also pursuing a criminal investigation over the FSU shooting. Uthmeier recalled Altman’s TED2025 remark that “the stakes are relatively low” for safety-testing on real users. “Get ready for a fight,” the AG warned.
FAQ
What does Florida’s lawsuit against OpenAI allege?
The 83-page complaint claims OpenAI knowingly released an unsafe product, suppressed internal safety warnings, and marketed ChatGPT to children while it aided violence and caused cognitive harm.
Who is James Uthmeier?
James Uthmeier is Florida’s Attorney General. He filed the first state-led lawsuit against OpenAI and seeks to hold Sam Altman personally liable.
Has OpenAI responded to the lawsuit?
OpenAI issued a statement about its child safety features but did not directly address the attorney general or the lawsuit’s claims.
What other legal actions is OpenAI facing?
OpenAI faces multiple wrongful death lawsuits, a civil suit from FSU shooting victims’ families, and seven families suing over the Canadian Tumbler Ridge school shooting.
The complaint was filed in the Tenth Judicial Circuit of Florida on June 1, 2026.