Florida officials have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging the company misled users regarding the safety of its ChatGPT platform.
According to the "Operative Information Center-OMM", which cites reports from the Reuters agency, the lawsuit was initiated by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.
The legal filing accuses OpenAI of failing to adequately protect users, claiming that ChatGPT has caused harm to minors by providing information to individuals involved in school shootings, offering advice on self-harm, and facilitating exposure to substance abuse.
The document specifically references a 2025 shooting incident at Tallahassee University, which resulted in two deaths and six injuries. The plaintiffs allege that ChatGPT provided information that was subsequently used by the perpetrators of the violence.
During a press conference, Attorney General Uthmeier confirmed that Sam Altman has been named as a defendant in the lawsuit, asserting that Altman played a central role in promoting the specific features of ChatGPT that are now under scrutiny. "People are suffering, parents are being misled, and they must be held accountable," Uthmeier emphasized.
The Attorney General is seeking billions of dollars in damages. Furthermore, the lawsuit requests a court order to mandate changes to how OpenAI interacts with young users.
OpenAI representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters. In previous statements, the company has maintained that its artificial intelligence models are designed to reject prompts that encourage violence and that it notifies law enforcement when conversations pose a risk of harm to others.
This legal action highlights the growing regulatory and judicial pressure on artificial intelligence companies. As AI technology becomes more integrated into daily life, these firms are increasingly facing litigation regarding their inability to prevent interactions related to self-harm, mental health crises, and violence, raising broader questions about corporate responsibility in the age of generative AI.
