Florida AG Escalates OpenAI Probe to Criminal Over ChatGPT's FSU Shooting Advice

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier escalated the state's investigation into OpenAI on Tuesday, declaring the probe into the company's potential role in last year's Florida State University mass shooting is now a criminal inquiry.

"Unfortunately, what we've seen in our initial review is that ChatGPT offered significant advice to the shooter before he committed such heinous crimes," Uthmeier said at a news conference in Tampa.

The announcement marks a significant turn in what began as a regulatory examination of the artificial intelligence company. A criminal investigation grants state prosecutors broader legal tools — including subpoena power over records and individuals — that a civil inquiry does not. Uthmeier did not specify at the news conference what charges, if any, the state is pursuing against OpenAI or its executives, nor did he detail the nature of the "advice" ChatGPT allegedly provided to the gunman.

For Treasure Coast families with students at Florida State, the investigation cuts close to home. The university draws heavily from Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. FSU's student body includes a substantial contingent from the Treasure Coast, and the shooting last year shook communities well beyond Tallahassee. Parents, school administrators and local law enforcement agencies across the three-county region have been grappling with how widely available AI tools factor into threat assessment and school safety planning. Martin County School District and St. Lucie County School District have both adopted student device and social media monitoring protocols in recent years, though neither district has publicly addressed AI-platform oversight specifically.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The company has previously said its systems include safety guardrails designed to prevent the generation of harmful content.

The criminal investigation proceeds against a broader backdrop of legislative uncertainty in Tallahassee, where state lawmakers have yet to reach agreement on a budget nearly one month after the legislative session ended — a stalemate that could affect state agency resources devoted to the probe.

No timeline for charges or a grand jury presentation has been publicly announced. Uthmeier's office is expected to provide additional details as the criminal investigation develops.

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