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The widow of a man who lost his life in last year’s Florida State University mass shooting has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, the creator of the ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot. She alleges that the AI played a role in the tragedy by providing the shooter with detailed information.
According to prosecutors, Phoenix Ikner used ChatGPT to determine the most effective location and time for causing maximum harm. The chatbot reportedly advised on the choice of firearm, ammunition, and whether a gun would be effective at close range.
Vandana Joshi, widow of victim Tiru Chabba who was among two people killed and six others injured, condemned OpenAI in a statement Monday: “OpenAI knew this would happen. It’s happened before and it was only a matter of time before it happened again.”
OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri refuted any wrongdoing, emphasizing that ChatGPT simply provided factual answers drawn from publicly available information and did not promote or encourage illegal actions.
The lawsuit was officially filed on Sunday. Meanwhile, Florida’s attorney general announced a rare criminal investigation in April, looking into whether ChatGPT had indeed offered advice to Ikner.
Joshi, through her legal counsel, expressed her grief and frustration: “OpenAI put their profits over our safety and it killed my husband. They need to be held accountable before another family suffers the same loss.”