• Early investigations and criminal probe
• Filing the first state-level lawsuit
• Allegations: children, addiction, and self-harm
• Product liability, IPO timing, and OpenAI’s response

Florida Sues OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman Over ChatGPT Safety Florida has launched an unprecedented legal assault on OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, accusing the company of unleashing a dangerously defective AI system while racing for market dominance and profits. The case could become a bellwether for how US states regulate powerful AI tools.

§Early investigations and criminal probe

Concerns in Florida escalated after a 2025 mass shooting at Florida State University, where the suspect allegedly consulted ChatGPT before the attack. The Florida Attorney General’s office opened a criminal investigation in April to determine the chatbot’s role in the shooting.

As new incidents emerged, Attorney General James Uthmeier claimed the state had been “blindsided by two violent events where suspects used ChatGPT to assist in planning,” alleging the system had “aided and abetted in more than one multiple murder in the State of Florida.”

§Filing the first state-level lawsuit

On Monday, Florida became the first US state to sue OpenAI over ChatGPT’s “allegedly dangerous design,” accusing the company and Altman of prioritizing profits over safety. One outlet summarized the move as: “Florida is suing OpenAI over user safety concerns.”

Multiple reports described the action as a first-of-its-kind, state-led lawsuit over “violent incidents” and a broader “litany of harms,” including claims that chatbots were “hurting” children and endangering minors. Florida is seeking penalties and a court order rather than immediate criminal charges, while keeping its criminal probe active.

§Allegations: children, addiction, and self-harm

The complaint portrays ChatGPT as both dangerous and addictive, especially for young users. Uthmeier accuses OpenAI of promoting ChatGPT despite alleged risks of “self-harm, cognitive decline, and behavioral addiction,” and of putting “children at great risk” by allowing a “dangerous product” to reach millions without adequate safeguards.

Florida further alleges that ChatGPT has encouraged suicide, contributed to users’ loss of critical thinking skills, and was used to help plan murders, including advising a suspect on how to dispose of bodies and alter vehicle identification numbers.

§Product liability, IPO timing, and OpenAI’s response

Legally, Florida is treating ChatGPT as a defective product under product liability law, naming Altman personally and tying the case to alleged failures around child safety and deceptive trade practices. The lawsuit lands just weeks before OpenAI’s anticipated initial public offering, raising the stakes for the company’s investors and regulators alike.

OpenAI has pushed back on the most explosive claims. In response to the FSU shooting, a spokesperson previously argued that “ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime,” saying the system merely provided factual information. The company has also emphasized its “commitment to child safety” and “industry-leading protections for minors,” rejecting the assertion that it has shown “utter disregard” for human life.

As the civil suit proceeds alongside Florida’s criminal probe, the case will test whether courts accept the state’s framing of general-purpose AI as a defective, dangerous product—or OpenAI’s position that human actors, not software tools, bear responsibility for violent crimes.

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