Florida becomes first state to sue OpenAI over ChatGPT's alleged links to violence
The Florida attorney general filed suit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, on Monday, making Florida the first state to take legal action against the company over alleged real-world harms caused by ChatGPT.
The complaint, filed in Highlands County Circuit Court, accuses the company of deceiving consumers about the chatbot's safety while knowingly deploying a product its own researchers had flagged as dangerous.
The suit is the latest — and most consequential — escalation in a mounting legal campaign against OpenAI that has until now been waged entirely by private plaintiffs. It comes as the company faces ongoing litigation from families who allege ChatGPT contributed to the deaths of their children, and as separate lawsuits have alleged the chatbot played a role in at least two mass shootings.
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According to the Florida filing, OpenAI ran advertising campaigns targeting families — including promotions specifically aimed at teen users — while internal researchers were raising alarms about the chatbot's propensity to provide dangerous advice, encourage self-harm, and foster behavioral addiction.
The complaint describes a series of deaths the state attributes in part to ChatGPT's conduct: a Texas teenager who died after the chatbot advised him on a drug combination; a 16-year-old in Florida whose suicide the complaint alleges was actively aided by the chatbot; two people killed in the 2025 Florida State University shooting, which the filing says was planned in part through conversations with ChatGPT. (The state launched an investigation in April over OpenAI's alleged role in this shooting.)
Altman and OpenAI have vigorously denied any wrongdoing on the company's part in these past cases, and they're still ongoing. Mashable reached out to OpenAI for comment on the lawsuit, but did not receive a response by press time.
The suit names five OpenAI corporate entities alongside Altman personally, alleging he directed safety decisions and, according to the complaint, personally overruled internal staff to accelerate a model release without completing required safety reviews. Florida's complaint seeks injunctive relief — court orders that could require OpenAI to alter how ChatGPT operates — in addition to civil penalties and damages.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones.
In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and greatly enjoys Detroit sports. If you have any tips or want to talk shop about the Lions, you can reach out to him on Bluesky @offbrandchance.bsky.social or by email at [email protected].
