Florida Sues OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, Claiming Company Concealed Serious Risks of ChatGPT

The state of Florida filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman on Monday, claiming the company knowingly released and aggressively marketed ChatGPT to the public while concealing serious risks. Florida Attorney General James Uthmire said during a news conference Monday that the company suppressed internal safety warnings and deceived users about the true nature and dangers of the product. As most of you probably know, last month we launched a criminal investigation into ChatGPT after discovering in the wake of the tragic FSU school shooting that the shooter consulted ChatGPT when figuring out how to carry out this heinous act. He asked ChatGPT questions about what type of gun to use, providing photographs and getting advice. He asked what ammunition went with which weapon, what time of day and where on campus he might be able to encounter the most people. Shortly thereafter, we learned that the murderer in the USF kidnapping and murder case consulted ChatGPT to ask how to dispose of the bodies. We're aware of other cases in Florida where young people have consulted ChatGPT before engaging in self-harm, before trying to take their lives, before creating child pornography or other criminal acts. The criminal investigation will continue but today we're here to announce that we recently filed a monumental civil lawsuit against Sam Altman and ChatGPT for endangering our kids. The civil complaint alleges that OpenAI and Altman prioritized speed to market and commercial gain over user safety, disregarded repeated warnings from experts both inside and outside the company, and deployed a product that facilitates and encourages harm while falsely assuring users it was safe. The lawsuit seeks damages up to billions of dollars plus a court order directing the company to change how it interacts with young users, Uthmeyer said. The newly filed civil lawsuit is different from the criminal investigation Uthmeyer announced in April about ChatGPT's role in a 2025 mass shooting at Florida State University. The shooter reportedly was aided by ChatGPT in planning the attack.