Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit Monday against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, accusing the company of promoting ChatGPT to the public without sufficient warnings about its dangers. The complaint, which the state calls the first state-led legal action against the AI firm, seeks damages and restrictions on the technology, along with personal liability for Altman.
The lawsuit argues that OpenAI ignored expert warnings about ChatGPT, which Florida claims has “aided and abetted” mass shooters and pushed vulnerable individuals toward suicide. The state alleges the company acted negligently and violated Florida’s prohibition on unfair and deceptive trade practices.
Among the specific harms cited is the murder of two University of South Florida graduate students, where authorities say the suspect consulted the tool for advice on disposing of bodies. The complaint also references broader patterns of misuse that the state contends OpenAI should have anticipated and mitigated.
Governor Ron DeSantis, who appointed Uthmeier—his former chief of staff—has previously tried to rein in AI in the state, but both attempts failed in the Florida House after pushback from President Trump and big technology companies. The lawsuit marks an escalation in the state’s legal battles with major tech firms, including Meta and Snapchat.
OpenAI has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit. The case could set a precedent for state-level regulation of generative AI, though its legal path remains uncertain given the novel claims about platform liability.