{"id":412956,"date":"2026-09-28T17:12:07","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T17:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/412956\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T17:12:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T17:12:07","slug":"openai-seeks-dismissal-of-lawsuit-linking-chatgpt-to-fsu-campus-shooting-citing-free-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/412956\/","title":{"rendered":"OpenAI seeks dismissal of lawsuit linking ChatGPT to FSU campus shooting, citing free speech"},"content":{"rendered":"

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is asking a federal court to throw out a lawsuit that seeks to hold it responsible for the tragic 2025 Florida State University campus shooting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On Friday, OpenAI filed a Motion to dismiss in response to a lawsuit brought by Tirru Chabba\u2019s family. Chabba was a South Carolina father<\/a>, one of two men killed in the shooting on April 17, 2025.<\/p>\n

According to the complaint, Chabba\u2019s family claims that ChatGPT provided information that helped the accused shooter, Phoenix Ikner, plan the attack. The complaint argues that OpenAI should be held liable for providing factual information to Ikner, including details about firearms and campus activity. <\/p>\n

However, OpenAI said that though Chabba\u2019s family \u201cunderstandably seeks redress for Ikner\u2019s heinous crime,\u201d attempting to hold the company liable for that crime \u201cstretches the bounds of state tort law beyond their breaking point.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIkner\u2019s attack was appalling. But on the facts alleged here, neither understandable sympathy for Plaintiff\u2019s tragic loss nor concerns about new technologies like artifical intelligence allow OpenAI to be held legally responsible for the premeditated crimes that Ikner alone committed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s lawsuit went on to say it never encouraged violence, refused to provide illegal instructions and even urged Ikner to seek mental health help. Furthermore, the artificial intelligence company claims it did not know of Ikner\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt no point did Ikner tell ChatGPT that he was planning or intended to commit a shooting,\u201d the complaint wrote. \u201cInstead, as is clear from the messages themselves, nearly all of Ikner\u2019s communications were requests for information, and ChatGPT\u2019s responses were consistently factual.\u201d<\/p>\n

As far as OpenAI\u2019s claim to urge the suspected shooter to seek mental health help, the company said \u201cOn occasions when Ikner indicated that he was struggling with depression, ChatGPT repeatedly encouraged him to \u2018talk[] to someone\u2014 whether a trusted friend, a pastor, or a therapist,\u2019 and referred him to the 988 crisis line. And ChatGPT repeatedly and consistently condemned violence.\u201d<\/p>\n

The company also argued that providing factual, publicly available information is not the same as selling a dangerous product and product liability laws do not apply to information or ideas. <\/p>\n

\u201cJust as a search engine or similar research tool could not be deemed a \u2018defective product\u2019 because it provided such information, neither can ChatGPT,\u201d the lawsuit wrote.<\/p>\n

Multiple killed, injured after shooting at Florida State University:<\/p>\n

Additionally, OpenAI asserts in its complaint that it had no legal duty to warn about or prevent Ikner\u2019s alleged crime since there was no special relationship with the victim or knowledge of a specific threat. <\/p>\n

Lastly, the company said that holding it liable would violate free speech rights, as the information provided was public and lawful. <\/p>\n

OpenAI\u2019s response to the lawsuit of Chabba\u2019s family follows a slew of complaints<\/a> filed against the artificial intelligence company stemming from the deadly shooting.<\/p>\n

Court documents show that the suspected gunman Ikner communicated extensively with ChatGPT<\/a> in the days, hours and minutes leading up to the tragic shooting, including asking about the busiest times at FSU\u2019s Student Union and how to turn off the safety on a shotgun.<\/p>\n

Ikner is accused of opening fire on the campus back in April 2025, killing two and leaving several others injured.<\/p>\n

He is expected to stand trial on June 8, 2027<\/a>, and could face the death penalty if convicted.<\/p>\n

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