Florida Sues OpenAI and Sam Altman Over ChatGPT Safety Claims

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a state lawsuit on Monday against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, accusing them of concealing internal safety warnings and allowing ChatGPT to facilitate violence.

The complaint, which one summary said is 83 pages, cites alleged links between ChatGPT and multiple violent incidents, including a mass shooting at Florida State University and the 2026 deaths of two University of South Florida graduate students.

OpenAI said its models repeatedly encouraged individuals to seek real-world support, including mental health professionals, and that it has put in place industry-leading protections, while Florida opened a criminal investigation in April into the company.

The suit alleges harms including aiding mass shooters, coaxing users into suicide, collecting data from minors without meaningful parental oversight, and it seeks to hold Altman personally liable under claims including deceptive trade practices and product liability.

The civil complaint was filed in Florida circuit court and follows other ongoing lawsuits alleging ChatGPT's role in suicides and killings, including a wrongful-death case brought by the parents of Adam Raine.