Florida filed a civil claim against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman on June 1, alleging the artificial intelligence (AI) company behind the popular chatbot ChatGPT has put profits over safety and has put lives at risk, state Attorney General James Uthmeier announced.
“Sam Altman and ChatGPT have chosen the AI race over the safety and security of our kids,” Uthmeier said during a press conference. “They have chosen profit over public safety and we’re not going to stand for it here in Florida. So, we are going to hold them accountable.”
Florida is the first state in the nation to sue the developer of ChatGPT over concerns that the chatbot allegedly has no protections for children or vulnerable users, saying the technology has encouraged suicides, shootings, and other crimes.
“Today, we’re going to send a message to OpenAI,” Uthmeier said. “Get ready for a fight, and there’s not one that’s more important than this right now. I think it’s a monumental generational lawsuit to bring about needed change to protect our kids.”
OpenAI responded to the lawsuit saying the company has recognized the power of AI technology and has already taken steps to protect users.
“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,” an OpenAI spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email. “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,” the OpenAI spokesperson said. “We know pointing to this work will not bring a child back, but we’re committed to getting this right.”
OpenAI claims the company is working with law enforcement in the cases against the people charged in the incidents cited in the lawsuit.
Florida also holds Altman personally liable for the harm he has allegedly caused to state residents as founder and CEO of the company.
Florida’s civil complaint claims the ChatGPT functions are specifically aimed at minors, with OpenAI using marketing campaigns featuring a family farm and a family tamale business, portraying the chatbot as a wholesome tool for Florida kids.
The chatbot is also marketed as being able to perform a wide range of tasks, such as creating recipes, fixing cars, and creating self-care plans, according to the complaint.
“These advertisements do not disclose that ChatGPT can be wrong, can make mistakes, or that it can provide false, nonsensical, or hallucinated information,” the state’s complaint states.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier speaks at the National Conservative Convention in Washington on Sept. 3, 2025. (Dominic Gwinn/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Uthmeier accused the company of endangering children and deceiving parents into believing it was safe to use. It also hides conversations it holds with children and doesn’t allow parents to access those conversations, he alleged.
ChatGPT has allegedly been used to encourage suicides, shootings, and other crimes, according to Uthmeier. He said the state is seeking to compel the company to put in guardrails and more protections.
Michael Duffey, the assistant special agent in charge of the cyber bureau for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, said AI platforms give “far too many bad actors” the opportunity to use the technology against children.
“It becomes a challenge for children, whose brains are still developing,” Duffey said at the press conference. “The belief factor is real. The children want to believe what they’re being told.”
Florida launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI in April over ChatGPT after the program was found by prosecutors to be involved in the deadly campus shooting at Florida State University last year. The investigation is ongoing.
The attorney general’s office claims the chatbot encouraged the shooter with advice about when to conduct the shooting and which type of gun and ammunition to use, along with other information.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (R) and Greg Brockman, OpenAI president and cofounder, arrive at the federal courthouse during proceedings in the trial over his lawsuit against OpenAI in Oakland, Calif., on April 30, 2026. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)
Two people were killed and seven people, including the suspect, were injured on April 17, 2025, during the shooting at the university campus in Tallahassee. The suspect, Phoenix Ikner, 20, is scheduled to stand trial later this year.
The company denies that its chatbot encouraged the shooter in the incident.
