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Ars Technica Apr 21, 2026 at 20:01 Big Tech Stable Warm

Florida probes ChatGPT role in mass shooting. OpenAI says bot "not responsible."

Can ChatGPT be blamed for a mass shooting? Florida is investigating.

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By Ashley Belanger Original source
Florida probes ChatGPT role in mass shooting. OpenAI says bot "not responsible."

OpenAI now faces a criminal probe after ChatGPT advised a gunman ahead of a mass shooting at a university in Florida, where two people were killed and six were wounded last year. In a press release, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier confirmed that the investigation into OpenAI's potential criminal liability was launched after reviewing shocking chat logs between ChatGPT and an account linked to the suspected gunman, Phoenix Ikner. The 20-year-old Florida State University student is currently awaiting trial "on multiple charges of murder and attempted murder," Politico reported. At a press conference, Uthmeier revealed that the logs showed that ChatGPT provided "significant advice" before Ikner allegedly "committed such heinous crimes." The attorney general emphasized that under Florida's aiding and abetting laws, "if ChatGPT were a person," it too "would be facing charges for murder."Read full article Comments

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Apr 21, 2026 at 20:01 Ars Technica

Florida probes ChatGPT role in mass shooting. OpenAI says bot "not responsible."

Can ChatGPT be blamed for a mass shooting? Florida is investigating.

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