Florida's attorney general filed suit Monday against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, accusing the artificial intelligence company of recklessly marketing ChatGPT to the public without adequate warnings about its dangers.
The complaint, filed by Attorney General James Uthmeier, alleges that OpenAI violated state law prohibiting unfair and deceptive trade practices. The state also contends the company acted negligently by ignoring safety concerns raised by internal experts and outside researchers about the AI chatbot's potential harms.
Florida cites specific incidents in its case, including the murder of two University of South Florida graduate students. Authorities say the suspect used ChatGPT to seek advice on disposing of bodies. The state also points to a 2023 shooting at Florida State University, where the gunman consulted ChatGPT beforehand.
The complaint describes ChatGPT as having "aided and abetted" mass shooters and notes instances where the tool allegedly encouraged vulnerable individuals toward suicide. Uthmeier said in a statement that the company "ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians."
This marks the first state-level lawsuit against OpenAI. Florida has emerged as an aggressive enforcer against Big Tech, having previously sued Meta and Snapchat. Governor Ron DeSantis, who appointed Uthmeier as his former chief of staff, has pushed twice this year for AI regulation in the state. Both legislative efforts failed after opposition from President Trump and the tech industry.
Uthmeier launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI in April after the Florida State University shooting came to light. That investigation continues, according to the attorney general.
OpenAI has not responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
Author James Rodriguez: "Florida's gambit here is bold, but the legal hurdles are steep, and success may hinge on proving OpenAI knew specific harms would occur from a general product."
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