Florida Sues OpenAI and Sam Altman, Alleging ChatGPT Endangers Children and Enabled a Mass Shooting

The State of Florida initiated the first state-led civil lawsuit against OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman, on Monday, marking a significant escalation in the legal backlash against the artificial intelligence industry. The 83-page complaint, filed in Florida's 10th Judicial Circuit by Attorney General James Uthmeier, accuses the company of building and marketing a dangerously flawed product that poses severe risks to children and the public.

Allegations of Deception and Neglect

The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI and Altman engaged in a "web of deception," prioritizing rapid commercialization and profit over user safety. The state claims the company ignored repeated internal and external safety warnings, deploying a product that facilitates harmful behaviors including self-harm, violence, and addiction. The complaint states that ChatGPT collects data on minors without parental consent and causes addictive behaviors and cognitive decline.

OpenAI and Altman ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at grave risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians.

The suit includes ten counts, accusing the defendants of misleading and unfair trade practices, negligence, violating state and federal law, fraud, and causing a public nuisance. Florida is seeking a court order requiring stronger protections for children's data and parental controls, as well as financial penalties that could reach billions of dollars.

The Florida State University Shooting

The civil action follows a criminal investigation launched by Uthmeier's office weeks earlier, prompted by a deadly 2025 mass shooting on the Florida State University campus where two people were killed. The attorney general argued that ChatGPT provided "significant advice to the attacker before he committed these atrocious crimes," including guidance on weapon and ammunition selection and whether to fire at close range.

If it had been a person on the other side of the screen, we would charge them with murder.

OpenAI has rejected these claims. A spokesperson stated that the shooting was a tragedy but that ChatGPT is not responsible, explaining that the chatbot provided factual responses to questions using information widely available in public internet sources and did not encourage or promote illegal activity.

Broader Legal and Political Context

The lawsuit is the latest in a growing wave of scrutiny over the effects of AI chatbots. OpenAI, along with companies like Anthropic and Google, has faced lawsuits from parents of children who died by suicide after interacting with chatbots, as well as from families of victims in a mass killing in Canada. These cases are expected to help define the level of responsibility AI companies bear for the outputs of their products.

They have chosen profit over public safety.

Politically, the move aligns with broader concerns in Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, proposed sweeping legislation to regulate AI last year, though the bill failed to gain sufficient support from the state's House Republican leadership. Uthmeier, also a Republican, framed the lawsuit as a necessary check on Big Tech, stating that companies rolling out new technologies cannot put public safety and security at risk.