ChatGPT to the bench: criminal investigation opened against AI tool for “advising” a shooter

The investigation, he explained, will determine whether OpenAI has criminal responsibility for the shooting, since Florida law considers it a crime to “aid, abet or advise” anyone who commits a crime.

Florida authorities issued a subpoena for OpenAI to hand over “all internal policies and training materials” on threats that could harm others or oneself and on cooperation with authorities, as well as a list of directors, managers and employees.

“It is important that we are all aware of the risks of this new technology, and the harm it can cause and has already caused in our communities,” said Mark Glass, Commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FLDE).

The fact reflects Florida’s growing legal fight against AI companies, since in March it emerged that a family in the state sued the Gemini chatbot, accusing it of inducing a man to suicide by making him believe that they were in a romantic relationship and that his death was necessary for them to be together.

Governor Ron DeSantis announced in December that he will insist on regulating AI in Florida, including the installation of data centers and protections for users, despite an order from the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to only have federal regulations and avoid state restrictions.