Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has announced an investigation into OpenAI and its chatbot ChatGPT. He raised concerns about AI safety and alleged that the company has been mishandling its data, possibly allowing it to fall into the wrong hands.
Florida’s AG Announces Investigation Into OpenAI and ChatGPT
In an X post, Uthmeier announced that they have launched an investigation into OpenAI and ChatGPT. He noted that this investigation aims to demand answers on the company’s activities that have “hurt kids, endangered Americans, and facilitated the recent FSU mass shooting.”
He added that they must hold the wrongdoers accountable. In a recorded video, the Florida AG further explained that they were conducting this investigation over concerns that OpenAI’s data and technology, which could be used against Americans, were falling into the hands of America’s enemies, including the “Chinese Communist Party.”
Uthmeier further mentioned that the company’s chatbot ChatGPT also has links to criminal behaviors, including child abuse, and also encourages suicide and self-harm. The Florida AG revealed that they have also learned that the chatbot may have assisted the mass murderer in the FSU mass shooting. “AI should advance mankind, not destroy it,” he asserted.
The Florida AG also doubled down, declaring that big tech companies cannot afford to put Americans’ safety at risk or raise national security risks as they advance AI. As part of the investigation, Uthmeier stated that subpoenas are already forthcoming. He concluded by urging the Florida legislature to roll out laws that protect children and further empower the AG’s office to fight these “evils.”
It is worth noting that this development comes as OpenAI prepares for its IPO, which could occur in the second half of the year or early 2027. Its public listing could be the second-largest this year, just behind the SpaceX IPO, with the company reportedly targeting a $1 trillion valuation.
White House Looking To Establish Federal Oversight For AI Laws
According to an Axios report, the Trump administration is pushing back on Republican-led AI bills in Nebraska and Tennessee, citing officials familiar with the negotiations. These negotiations are reportedly an effort to pressure these states to weaken or abandon their efforts.
This comes as the White House seeks to establish federal oversight of the AI industry, although legislative efforts have stalled in Congress. Notably, the White House last month released a 4-page ‘National Policy Framework’ for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a move to preempt state laws.
The framework included proposals urging Congress to protect kids, communities, copyright, and free speech while also ‘enabling innovation and ensuring American AI dominance.’ It urged Congress not to create any new federal rulemaking body to regulate AI firms like Sam Altman’s OpenAI.
Instead, the White House urged Congress to support the development and deployment of sector-specific AI applications through existing regulatory bodies with subject-matter expertise and industry-led standards.
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