AI is Facing Criminal and Civil Lawsuits

WASHINGTON - May 20, 2026 - PRLog -- ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence platform, is facing both criminal and civil liability as the result of a mass shooting at Florida State University.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier says his office is "demanding answers on OpenAI's activities that have hurt kids, endangered Americans, and facilitated the recent FSU mass shooting."

The estate of a victim has also filed a federal lawsuit (https://www.scribd.com/document/1037820453/Complaint-filed-by-FSU-shooting-victim-s-attorney-against-ChatGPT) saying that ChatGPT should have known from the questions being asked that the user was contemplating murder.

A report (https://www.thecollegefix.com/accusations-grow-over-chatgpts-possible-role-in-florida-state-u-shooting/) says that "a legal expert on lawsuits explained how criminal and civil liability could apply," citing public interest law professor John Banzhaf, who has successfully predicted the results in many novel legal actions, and is an expect of the law related to computers.

"Most AI programs are designed to provide support and validation to what the user proposes, even if that is suicide, murder, or some other crime . . . '[But] given the high level of 'thinking' and analysis of which AI programs are capable, it should have recognized why the user was consulting it from the questions asked.'"

It also notes that "the public interest lawyer cited cases where AI platforms were found liable for negligence or child endangerment. Though different from the FSU case, he noted both cases turned AI companies into less formidable opponents.  . . [E]ven very large powerful corporations can be beaten by clever attorneys using novel legal strategies, and they will probably encourage future juries to take out their growing concerns about big tech and AI with large verdicts,' the George Washington University law professor wrote."

The report also points out that "Professor Banzhaf believes First Amendment arguments will come up in the ongoing trial, though they will likely be unsuccessful. He cited a similar case where publishers of a book someone used as advice to commit murder were sued, and their First Amendment defenses failed to work. He notes, however, that 'it is much more difficult to establish proof beyond a reasonable doubt in a criminal case than to prove a civil case by only a preponderance of the evidence standard.'"

JOHN F. BANZHAF III, B.S.E.E., J.D., Sc.D.
Professor of Public Interest Law Emeritus
George Washington University Law School
"The Man Behind the Ban on Cigarette Commercials"
FAMRI Dr. William Cahan Distinguished Professor
Fellow, World Technology Network
Founder, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
Inventor of the "Banzhaf Index"
(703) 527-8418
http://banzhaf.net/   jbanzhaf3ATgmail.com   @profbanzha