Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
OpenAI is once again facing legal trouble. This time, the ChatGPT maker and its CEO Sam Altman are being sued by Vandana Joshi, whose husband Tiru Chabba was killed in the deadly Florida State University mass shooting last year. Joshi alleges that ChatGPT played a key role in helping the accused gunman plan the attack.
Joshi’s husband, 45-year-old Tiru Chabba, was one of two people killed when Phoenix Ikner allegedly opened fire on the Florida State University campus in April 2025. The lawsuit is part of a growing wave of legal actions in the US that accuse AI chatbots of encouraging, assisting or failing to prevent harmful and violent behaviour.
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According to court filings and reports cited by Joshi’s legal team, Ikner had been communicating with ChatGPT for months before the shooting. The lawsuit alleges that the 21-year-old exchanged more than 10,000 messages with the chatbot, discussing topics including loneliness, suicide, guns and mass shootings.
One of the most closely scrutinised exchanges involved Ikner asking ChatGPT: “What time is busiest in the FSU student union?” The chatbot reportedly responded that the university’s student union is typically busiest during weekday lunchtimes between 11:30am and 1:30pm. CCTV footage later allegedly showed Ikner entering the area armed at around 11:59am on the day of the attack.
Robert Bell, the attorney representing Joshi, argues that ChatGPT was central to the planning of the attack. Speaking to ABC’s 7.30 programme, Bell said Ikner was still interacting with the chatbot on the day of the shooting and continued seeking information in the lead-up to the attack. He questioned whether the tragedy would have unfolded in the same way had the accused not received information from the AI system.
OpenAI rejects the allegations
OpenAI has strongly rejected those allegations. In a statement, the company said ChatGPT was “not responsible for this terrible crime” and argued that its responses were based on factual information publicly available on the internet. The company also maintained that the chatbot did not encourage or promote illegal or harmful activity.
Florida accuses OpenAI of putting profits ahead of safety
Meanwhile, Joshi’s lawsuit comes as Florida has launched an even broader legal challenge against OpenAI and Altman. In a separate case filed by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, the state has become the first in the US to sue OpenAI over the design and safety of ChatGPT. The complaint accuses the company of putting profits ahead of user safety while marketing ChatGPT as a trustworthy tool.
Florida is seeking to hold Altman personally liable, alleging that he knowingly pushed a product that could expose users to serious harms. The lawsuit claims OpenAI concealed risks including addiction, self-harm, suicide, violence and cognitive decline while aggressively expanding the chatbot’s reach. It includes allegations of deceptive trade practices, negligence, product liability violations and fraudulent misrepresentation.
The state complaint also references the Florida State University shooting and another homicide case involving two University of South Florida doctoral students, where prosecutors allege the suspect asked ChatGPT questions about disposing of human bodies before the killings.
Meanwhile, OpenAI has defended its approach, saying it has implemented industry-leading safeguards, age-detection systems and parental controls designed to protect younger users. The company says it continues to improve ChatGPT’s ability to recognise signs of emotional distress and direct users towards real-world support when needed.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
