Florida’s attorney general filed the first state-led lawsuit in the country against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. 

It is an 83-page legal document that accuses one of the most powerful tech companies on earth of putting profit over people, including children.

Florida’s Claim

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier says OpenAI and Altman ignored clear safety warnings. They knew there were risks, but they pushed forward anyway.

“OpenAI and Altman ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians,” Uthmeier said in his announcement.

The lawsuit connects ChatGPT to a mass shooting, ties the chatbot to suicides, and accuses the product of harming professionals through embarrassing false information. 

It even claims users have lost critical thinking skills over time.

University Shooting

This lawsuit follows a criminal investigation that Florida launched back in April. That probe focused on a mass shooting at Florida State University last year.

Investigators wanted to know if ChatGPT played a role. The shooter reportedly talked to the chatbot before carrying out the attack. 

The family of one victim has already filed a civil lawsuit making a similar claim. OpenAI denied all accusations. 

A company spokesperson told NBC News that ChatGPT was not responsible for the tragedy.

Multiple Lawsuits

Last year, the parents of Adam Raine, a California teenager, sued OpenAI. Their son died by suicide after talking to the chatbot about ending his life. 

According to the lawsuit, ChatGPT gave him detailed methods for how to do it, even while also suggesting he seek mental health help. That combination, critics say, made the situation worse.

Seven more families have sued OpenAI over suicides they link to ChatGPT conversations. A stalking victim filed a suit, claiming the chatbot fed her abuser’s delusions. 

A murder-suicide case has also been tied to the AI in court filings. These cases are all still working their way through the legal system. 

Florida’s lawsuit says that OpenAI has been so focused on winning the “AI arms race” and making money that it looked the other way on safety. 

That changes the tone of the conversation from individual incidents to a company-wide mindset.

Elon Musk’s Lawsuit

OpenAI just wrapped up another high-profile legal battle. Elon Musk, one of the company’s original co-founders, sued OpenAI in 2024. 

He claimed the company betrayed its original mission to benefit humanity by turning into a for-profit business.

The case ended when the jury decided Musk had waited too long to file. The statute of limitations had already run out. So OpenAI won, on a technicality.

Most of the ChatGPT lawsuits so far have been civil cases filed by private individuals. This one is different because a state government is suing. 

That brings more resources, more public attention, and a very different kind of legal pressure.

It also sets a precedent. If Florida wins, or even if this case forces a settlement, other states could follow. 

We could potentially see a wave of state-led AI lawsuits change how companies like OpenAI are allowed to operate.