Florida attorney general opens probe into OpenAI amid national-security and safety concerns
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Thursday that his office has launched a formal investigation into OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. In a post on X, Uthmeier said subpoenas are coming and investigators will examine whether OpenAI’s AI systems create risks tied to national security, criminal misuse, and child safety as regulators worldwide step up scrutiny of generative AI.
“AI should advance mankind, not destroy it,” Uthmeier wrote, saying the technology’s rollout is a “monumental leap” that nonetheless raises public-safety and national-security questions. He specifically flagged worries that data collected by OpenAI could be accessed by foreign adversaries — naming the Chinese Communist Party — and said the probe will look into whether sensitive data or technologies could fall into hostile hands.
The AG also pointed to allegations linking ChatGPT to harmful or illegal behavior. Uthmeier cited reports that the chatbot has been connected to child sexual-abuse material use by predators and to content encouraging suicide or self-harm. His office is also reviewing claims that the suspect in a 2025 Florida State University shooting was in “constant communication with ChatGPT” before the attack; lawyers for one victim’s family have alleged the chatbot may have advised the alleged gunman on how to carry out the attack.
Uthmeier urged the Florida Legislature to move quickly to adopt new protections to shield children from AI-related harms and to give the attorney general more authority to pursue wrongdoing. His office did not immediately respond to requests for further comment from Decrypt.
The investigation lands amid broader regulatory pressure on AI chatbots. Other major models — including Google’s Gemini and Elon Musk’s xAI Grok — have faced criticism from researchers and advocacy groups for how they handle dangerous or sensitive prompts. In December, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposed an “AI Bill of Rights” aimed at protecting privacy and guarding against higher energy costs tied to AI data centers; his office also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
OpenAI said it will cooperate with the investigation and emphasized the platform’s widespread use, noting that more than 900 million people use ChatGPT weekly for tasks such as learning new skills and navigating healthcare. A spokesperson said the company’s ongoing safety work is central to delivering those benefits and that it continues improving the model’s ability to understand intent and respond safely.
Why crypto audiences should watch: this probe signals growing state-level appetite to regulate AI on grounds that overlap with privacy, national-security, and energy policy — areas that also affect crypto infrastructure and data-heavy services. Investigations like this could shape precedent for cross-sector regulation, from data handling rules to demands for greater transparency and oversight.
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