'AI Should Advance Mankind, Not Destroy It': Why Florida Is Taking Aim at OpenAI

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Thursday that his bureau has launched an probe into OpenAI, the institution down the ChatGPT chatbot.

In a connection posted connected X, Uthmeier said the probe volition analyse whether the company’s artificial quality systems airs risks related to nationalist security, transgression misuse, and kid information arsenic governments summation scrutiny of generative AI platforms.

“Today, we formally motorboat an probe into OpenAI, and subpoenas are forthcoming,” Uthmeier said. “The improvement and rollout of artificial quality is simply a monumental leap successful technology, but it is not without interest for nationalist information and nationalist security.”

"AI should beforehand mankind, not destruct it," helium wrote connected X.

Uthmeier said officials are besides reviewing whether overseas adversaries could entree information gathered by OpenAI.

“AI is built connected its quality to stitchery data, and determination are concerns astir whether OpenAI's information and AI technologies that could beryllium utilized against America are falling into the hands of America's enemies, specified arsenic the Chinese Communist Party,” helium said.

The lawyer wide besides referenced allegations that ChatGPT has appeared successful investigations involving harmful oregon amerciable activity.

“OpenAI's ChatGPT has besides been linked to transgression behavior, including kid enactment maltreatment worldly usage by kid predators and the encouragement of termination and self-harm,” helium said.

Uthmeier said investigators are reviewing reports that the chatbot whitethorn person been utilized by the fishy successful a 2025 shooting astatine Florida State University that killed 2 radical and injured respective others. Lawyers for the household of 1 unfortunate person said the alleged gunman was successful “constant connection with ChatGPT” earlier the attack, and alleged that the chatbot whitethorn person advised him connected however to transportation retired the attack.

Uthmeier urged the Florida Legislature to follow caller protections addressing AI risks.

“I telephone connected the Florida Legislature to enactment rapidly connected implementing protections to safeguard our children from the dangers of AI and to further empower my Office of Attorney General to combat these evils,” helium said.

The bureau of the Florida Attorney General did not instantly respond to a petition for remark by Decrypt.

The probe comes arsenic AI chatbots look increasing ineligible and regulatory scrutiny. Other large chatbots, including Google’s Gemini and Grok from Elon Musk’s xAI, person besides faced disapproval from researchers and advocacy groups implicit however they respond to unsafe oregon delicate prompts. In December, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposed an AI “Bill of Rights” aimed astatine protecting citizens' privateness and from accrued vigor costs related to AI information centers.

The bureau of Governor DeSantis did not instantly respond to a petition for remark by Decrypt.

In a statement, OpenAI said it volition cooperate with the investigation, adding that each week, much than 900 cardinal radical usage ChatGPT to “improve their regular lives done uses specified arsenic learning caller skills oregon navigating analyzable healthcare systems.”

“Our ongoing information enactment continues to play an important relation successful delivering these benefits to mundane people, arsenic good arsenic supporting technological probe and discovery,” the spokesperson told Decrypt. “We physique ChatGPT to recognize people's intent and respond successful a harmless and due way, and we proceed improving our technology.”