The family of one of two people killed in an April 2025 shooting at Florida State University (FSU) has filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, alleging that the suspected gunman carried out the attack with input and information provided by the chatbot over several months.
The lawsuit, first reported by NBC News, was filed on Sunday in Florida's northern federal district court by Vandana Joshi, the widow of Tiru Chabba. Chabba was killed alongside university dining director Robert Morales in the mass shooting on 17 April 2025, which also wounded five others.
Lawsuit Alleges Extensive ChatGPT Conversations
In the 76-page complaint, attorneys argue that Phoenix Ikner, the then FSU student accused of carrying out the shooting, had extensive conversations with ChatGPT ahead of the attack. The lawyers contend that these conversations would have led any thinking human to conclude he was contemplating an imminent plan to harm others. However, the complaint alleges that ChatGPT either defectively failed to connect the dots or was never properly designed to recognize the threat.
The lawsuit alleges that Ikner used the AI platform to identify weapons and ammunition, and that ChatGPT explained how to use the weapons, including telling Ikner that the Glock had no safety and was meant to be fired quickly under stress. It also allegedly advised him to keep his finger off the trigger until he was ready to shoot.
ChatGPT Accused of Encouraging Violence
The plaintiffs allege that ChatGPT inflamed and encouraged Ikner's delusions, endorsed his view that he was sane and rational, helped convince him that violent acts can be required to bring about change, assisted him by providing information used to plan specifics like weapons and their use, and generally provided encouragement for carrying out a massacre, down to the best time to encounter the most traffic on campus.
The complaint states that Ikner used ChatGPT for months before the shooting, engaging in lengthy discussions about dating, homework, workout routines, and more. Among those exchanges, the lawsuit alleges, Ikner and ChatGPT had conversations with recurring themes of terrorism and mass shootings, particularly those occurring at schools.
At one point, according to the filing, Ikner allegedly asked the chatbot about the numbers of fatalities required for a mass shooting at a school to get the most attention and make national news. ChatGPT allegedly responded that attacks killing three or more people were more likely to get widespread media national attention, and that incidents where children are involved, even two to three victims, can draw more attention.
The lawsuit also alleges that on the day of the shooting, Ikner asked ChatGPT what would happen to the shooter. ChatGPT described the legal process, sentencing, and incarceration outlook.
OpenAI Disputes Allegations
In a statement, a spokesperson for OpenAI disputed the allegations, saying the attack was a tragedy but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime. The spokesperson said that after learning of the incident, OpenAI identified an account believed to be associated with the suspect and proactively shared this information with law enforcement. They continue to cooperate with authorities. In this case, ChatGPT provided factual responses to questions with information that could be found broadly across public sources on the internet, and it did not encourage or promote illegal or harmful activity.
The OpenAI spokesperson's statement continued: ChatGPT is a general-purpose tool used by hundreds of millions of people every day for legitimate purposes. We work continuously to strengthen our safeguards to detect harmful intent, limit misuse, and respond appropriately when safety risks arise.
The new lawsuit came about a month after lawyers for Morales's family said they were planning to file their own lawsuit against ChatGPT and OpenAI.
Meanwhile, after reviewing Ikner's chat logs, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on 21 April announced that he was launching a criminal investigation against OpenAI tied to the FSU shooting, stating: If ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder.
Ikner is tentatively scheduled to go on trial in October on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty.
