Florida Attorney General seeks court injunction against OpenAI’s ChatGPT

Florida just became the first state to take OpenAI to court. Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a civil lawsuit against the company, its CEO Sam Altman, and five related entities in Highlands County circuit court, alleging that OpenAI concealed the risks of ChatGPT and misled users, including minors, about the product’s dangers. The complaint seeks an emergency injunction, permanent restrictions on OpenAI’s marketing practices, and civil penalties under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. It also frames ChatGPT as a public nuisance, a legal classification typically reserved for environmental hazards or physical dangers rather than software products. What Florida is actually alleging The lawsuit connects ChatGPT to several violent incidents, most notably the April 17, 2025 shooting at Florida State University involving suspect Phoenix Ikner. Uthmeier’s office argues that the AI chatbot’s interactions played a role in events leading to real-world harm, and that OpenAI failed to implement adequate safeguards. State prosecutors launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI’s conduct in April 2026, reviewing chat logs and internal communications before the civil sui...