Florida has become the first U.S. state to file a lawsuit against OpenAI, escalating scrutiny of artificial intelligence platforms and their impact on young users.
The legal action, filed Monday by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, accuses OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman, of misleading the public about the safety of ChatGPT. State officials argue that the chatbot has exposed minors to harmful content, including information related to school shootings, self-harm, and other dangerous behavior, while fostering unhealthy levels of engagement among young users.
The lawsuit was submitted in a Florida state court and marks a significant new front in the growing legal challenges confronting AI developers. According to the complaint, ChatGPT allegedly played a role in several incidents across the United States in which individuals later engaged in violent acts. Florida officials also pointed to a shooting at a university in Tallahassee last year as part of the broader concerns cited in the case.
Speaking at a news conference, Uthmeier said Altman was named individually because of his direct involvement in promoting and overseeing features that the state considers problematic. He argued that families had been misled about the platform’s safety and claimed that the consequences had extended beyond online interactions into real-world harm.
Florida is seeking financial penalties that could reach billions of dollars, along with court-ordered changes to the way ChatGPT interacts with younger users.
OpenAI did not immediately issue a public response to the lawsuit.
The company has previously stated that its AI systems are designed to reject requests that could facilitate violence and that it alerts law enforcement authorities when conversations indicate a credible and immediate threat. OpenAI has also said mental-health professionals assist in evaluating difficult cases where risks may be present.
The lawsuit follows an announcement by Uthmeier earlier this year that Florida had opened a criminal investigation into ChatGPT’s alleged connection to a 2025 mass shooting at Florida State University. Prosecutors reportedly reviewed conversations between the accused gunman and the chatbot as part of that inquiry.
The case arrives amid a widening wave of litigation targeting AI companies. Plaintiffs in multiple jurisdictions have alleged that chatbot interactions contributed to self-harm, mental-health crises, and violent behavior.
OpenAI is already facing separate legal claims from relatives of a victim killed in the Florida State University shooting. Those claims contend that ChatGPT assisted the attacker in planning the assault.
Beyond the United States, legal pressure is also mounting. Earlier this year, relatives of victims of a mass shooting in Canada filed lawsuits alleging that OpenAI had indications of the gunman’s intentions months before the attack but failed to notify authorities.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly woven into daily life, Florida’s lawsuit may emerge as a defining test of how far courts are willing to hold AI developers responsible for the actions of their users.
