Florida sues Open AI, Sam Altman after multiple Chat GPT-linked murders - Ars Technica
Overview
Florida sues Open AI, Sam Altman after multiple Chat GPT-linked murdersvar abtest_2157292 = new ABTest(2157292, 'click');
Altman has an “utter disregard” for human lives, Florida AG says.
Details
On Monday, Florida became the first state to sue Open AI over Chat GPT’s allegedly dangerous design.
In a complaint filed in state court, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier accused Open AI and its CEO, Sam Altman, of prioritizing profits over the safety of Floridians.
The civil lawsuit comes after Florida opened an unrelated criminal probe into Open AI, following a Chat GPT-linked mass shooting where two people were killed at Florida State University. In statements, Open AI has insisted that Chat GPT isn’t responsible for the FSU shooting, merely providing factual information, but Uthmeier does not seem to agree. In his complaint, Uthmeier noted that Florida has now been blindsided by two violent events where suspects used Chat GPT to assist in planning.
“Horrifically, Chat GPT has aided and abetted in more than one multiple murder in the State of Florida,” Uthmeier’s complaint said. “The 2026 deaths of University of South Florida graduate students Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon were also plotted using Chat GPT, which advised Hisham Abugharbieh on how to dispose of bodies, change VIN numbers on a car, and whether cars were checked at the crime scene.”
Uthmeier then went on to list all the ways Chat GPT has allegedly fueled violence. In 2025, Chat GPT was blamed for encouraging several users to commit suicide, including teenager Adam Raine and a 56-year-old bodybuilder who murdered his mother based on a Chat GPT-hallucinated conspiracy.
More recently, in February, a man with mental health struggles killed his wife and attacked his mother “after talking with Chat GPT several hours a day and coming to believe robots were taking over the world, ” Uthmeier said. And a small mining town in Canada was shocked by a school shooting that claimed nine lives the same month. Altman later apologized for not alerting law enforcement about the shooter’s Chat GPT logs, which some believe could have averted the shooting.
The real-world violence isn’t the only reason why Florida wants Chat GPT enjoined from causing harm to users while being marketed as safe. The state’s complaint also accuses Open AI of designing the chatbot to be addictive and destructive to children and adults. Beyond the chatbot’s sycophancy feeding into users’ delusions, Chat GPT is advertised as safe to use, but studies show it can cause loss of cognitive functions, Florida’s complaint alleged. Chatbots posing as medical professionals or therapists are also problematic, the complaint said, citing a recent wrongful death lawsuit alleging that Chat GPT encouraged a 19-year-old to mix Kratom with Xanax.
Florida points to all these harms and more, while seeking maximum civil damages for alleged violations of unfair trade laws.
“As these examples show, Chat GPT proactively aids, abets, and promotes dangerous activities and is a threat to the public safety of Floridians,” the lawsuit said. Meanwhile, “defendants make money through Chat GPT, affirming whatever users tell it and drawing them deeper into delusions.”
In a statement, Open AI did not mention the attorney general and instead focused on recent child safety updates.
“Losing a child is the most devastating tragedy that can happen to a family and we know that no words can come close to addressing the pain of such a loss,” Open AI’s spokesperson said. “AI is a new and powerful technology, and we believe minors need significant protection, which is why we have put in place industry leading protections and policies. In particular we built safety for minors directly into our products, including a more protective experience specifically for minors, an age prediction tool, defaulting users whose age we are not confident into our more protective experience, and giving parents tools to monitor their kids’ use of AI. We know pointing to this work will not bring a child back, but we’re committed to getting this right.”
The lawsuit joins prior suits accusing Altman of callously deploying AI systems without regard for user safety.
In his complaint, Uthmeier recalled how Altman told TED2025 attendees that right now “the stakes are relatively low” for Open AI to safety-test its products on real users, which he claimed is the only way to iteratively improve them.
“But the stakes aren’t low,” Uthmeier said. “Floridians—including our vulnerable children—have suffered monetary loss, mental health harms, cognitive decline, and physical harm from Defendants’ deceptive, unethical, and recklessly dangerous conduct. Defendants must be held accountable for the harm they have caused and the dangers they and Chat GPT continue to pose to Floridians.”
In a press release, Uthmeier claimed that in rushing products like Chat GPT model 4o to market, Open AI “ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians.”
Similarly, the complaint said that Altman must be held “personally liable for the harm he has caused Floridians through his reckless and willful conduct as founder and CEO of Open AI, including his utter disregard for the risk to human life caused by his firm’s conduct.”
In a loss, Open AI could face pressure to implement remedies like age-gating free Chat GPT accounts to protect kids, shutting down conversations that discuss violence and suicide, and removing features that the state says deceptively make Chat GPT feel like talking to a human.
Without more parental controls, the state could push for a ban on teens accessing Chat GPT.
“Chat GPT is not safe for teenagers in Florida to use; its use can lead to self-harm, cognitive decline, and behavioral addiction,” the complaint said.
At a press conference live-streamed on X, Uthmeier vowed to work with other states that want to protect kids to hold Open AI accountable and fielded questions from reporters. When asked if the state planned to pursue all AI companies—not just Open AI—Uthmeier said Florida is “certainly” looking at other platforms, but “Chat GPT appears to be the most egregious,” with Altman “central” to pushing features that are dangerous to kids.
“Get ready for a fight, and there’s not one more important than this right now,” Uthmeier said.
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Key Takeaways
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Florida sues Open AI, Sam Altman after multiple Chat GPT-linked murdersvar abtest_2157292 = new ABTest(2157292, 'click');
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Altman has an “utter disregard” for human lives, Florida AG says
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On Monday, Florida became the first state to sue Open AI over Chat GPT’s allegedly dangerous design
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In a complaint filed in state court, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier accused Open AI and its CEO, Sam Altman, of prioritizing profits over the safety of Floridians
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The civil lawsuit comes after Florida opened an unrelated criminal probe into Open AI, following a Chat GPT-linked mass shooting where two people were killed at Florida State University
