--- title: "State of Florida Sues OpenAI, Saying Sam Altman Showed “Utter Disregard for the Risk to Human Life”" description: "The state of Florida has become the first state to sue OpenAI in a wide-sweeping civil action meant to regulate AI chatbot ChatGPT." date: "2026-06-03" modified: "2026-06-03" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/florida-openai-sam-altman-lawsuit" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Ethics" --- # State of Florida Sues OpenAI, Saying Sam Altman Showed “Utter Disregard for the Risk to Human Life” ![Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu via Getty Images; Shutterstock]() *Illustration featuring a photograph of Sam Altman set against a purple and yellow background.* Florida has become the first state in the union to sue ChatGPT producer OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. In a [landmark lawsuit]() filed by Florida attorney general James Uthmeier, the state accused the entity and its chief executive of putting revenue over safety in order to grab market share with a product even though it knew it could harm users. First [reported by *NBC News*](), the lawsuit takes the form of a civil action, looking to levy penalties and a court order in order to regulate OpenAI's actions within the state (though it should be noted Florida also has an [unrelated criminal investigation]() into OpenAI underway.) In addition, Uthmeier "seeks to hold Altman personally liable for the harm he has caused Floridians through his reckless and willful conduct as founder and CEO of OpenAI, including his utter disregard for the risk to human life caused by his firms' conduct." "This litany of harms is driven by Defendants' insatiable quest to win the AI arms race and amass large fortunes, despite knowing the danger of ChatGPT," the state wrote in its complaint. The lawsuit comes on the heels of the deadly mass shooting at Florida State University, where two people were killed and six injured. In the wake of that attack, it was discovered that far-right perpetrator Phoenix Ikner had [extensively consulted ChatGPT]() to plan the shooting. That was followed by another case from April, in which a suspect implicated in a double-murder at the University of South Florida was [alleged to have planned his attacks]() with the popular AI chatbot. Altogether, the state of Florida has charged OpenAI with a litany of penalties, including four counts of deceptive and unfair trade practices, two counts of negligence, two counts of product liability law violation, one count of fraudulent misrepresentation, and one count of causing a public nuisance. **More on OpenAI:** *[Was This the Moment That AI Psychosis Began?]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()