ChatGPT also allegedly claimed that a shooting was more likely to gain national attention “if children are involved,” adding that, “even 2-3 victims can draw more attention.” Per the complaint, Ikner also shared images of firearms he had acquired with ChatGPT, with the chatbot responding with firing techniques for a Glock handgun, including "advising him to keep his finger off the trigger until he was ready to shoot."
"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," OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri told NBC News, denying the allegations.
Joshi’s complaint alleges that where “any thinking human” would have concluded that Ikner’s conversations pointed to an “imminent plan to harm others,” the chatbot “defectively failed to connect the dots or else it was never properly designed to recognize the threat.”
The Florida Office of Statewide Prosecution subpoenaed OpenAI for information and records including policies on user threats and cooperation with law enforcement.
The case stems from a mass shooting at Florida State University in April 2025, in which Phoenix Ikner, a former FSU student, allegedly killed two people and injured six others. Ikner faces charges of murder and attempted murder in connection with the attack.
The incident has drawn scrutiny over the role AI systems may play in facilitating real-world violence. While AI companies have typically avoided liability for user-generated content, this lawsuit seeks to establish a new precedent for holding them accountable when their systems allegedly provide guidance for criminal acts.
