Florida launches probe into OpenAI as company eyes massive IPO

[Skye Jacobs]

What just happened? Florida's top law enforcement officer has opened an investigation into OpenAI, saying the company's technology poses potential security and safety risks as it prepares for an initial public offering that could value the firm at as much as $1 trillion. Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the probe on Thursday, stating that Florida will issue subpoenas to the San Francisco-based AI developer.

In a video posted to X, he said his office is examining whether OpenAI's data and artificial intelligence systems "could fall into the hands of America's enemies, such as the Chinese Communist Party."

OpenAI's generative AI models, including ChatGPT, have seen rapid global adoption across industries as organizations integrate them into daily operations. Uthmeier's move is part of growing scrutiny from US officials over the national security implications of large-scale AI deployments and the handling of vast datasets used to train these systems.

The attorney general also raised public safety concerns tied to the company's flagship product, which he said now has more than 900 million weekly active users. In his remarks, he alleged that ChatGPT has been linked to criminal conduct, including child sexual abuse offenses and prompts that encourage suicide or self-harm.

Uthmeier added that authorities have indications that ChatGPT was likely used to assist the gunman in carrying out the recent mass shooting at Florida State University, where two people were killed.

– Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) April 9, 2026

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While characterizing artificial intelligence as a transformative force, Uthmeier emphasized the need for oversight. "AI is a monumental leap in technology," he said, adding that it should be developed to "supplement, support, and advance mankind, not lead to an existential crisis or our ultimate demise."

The Florida investigation adds to a growing patchwork of state-level scrutiny of OpenAI and other AI developers. In September 2025, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings sent a letter to the company expressing "deep concern over increased reports of how OpenAI's products interact with children."

The inquiry comes at a pivotal moment for OpenAI, whose rapid commercial expansion has drawn both regulatory attention and investor enthusiasm. Analysts have projected that its planned IPO could be among the largest in US tech history.

For regulators, however, the same tools driving innovation have amplified questions about accountability, data handling, and misuse – issues that state officials like Uthmeier say warrant closer examination before the technology's reach expands further.

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Florida launches probe into OpenAI as company eyes massive IPO

 

[brucek]

AI is definitely going to be a bumpy road and it'll take a long time for our various governmental systems - legislators, regulators, judges - to figure out their roles.

Meanwhile color me skeptical that the Florida AG is in a position to contribute anything meaningful today or that some of the issues he's citing are appropriate for a state AG to handle at all (I.e., foreign policy.)

 

[m3diapers]

Isn't it a nonprofit? can nonprofit go IPO?

 

[JaredTheDragon]

Isn't it a nonprofit? can nonprofit go IPO?

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa!

 

[Loadedaxe]

Isn't it a nonprofit? can nonprofit go IPO?

No, it changed last year. I imagine so they could go public.

 

[Loadedaxe]

AI is definitely going to be a bumpy road and it'll take a long time for our various governmental systems - legislators, regulators, judges - to figure out their roles.

Meanwhile color me skeptical that the Florida AG is in a position to contribute anything meaningful today or that some of the issues he's citing are appropriate for a state AG to handle at all (I.e., foreign policy.)

I think there’s some truth on both sides here. AI is moving faster than the legal and regulatory systems that are supposed to oversee it.

However, the big question is what role a state level office like the Florida AG should play.

State AGs do have authority when it comes to consumer protection, fraud, data privacy, and how companies operate within their state...so there is a scope for them to be involved. But when the conversation shifts toward areas like foreign policy or global AI competition, that’s typically outside a state’s scope and better handled at the federal level.

At this stage, a lot of these investigations may be less about immediate solutions and more about signaling bigger concerns, gathering information, and trying to define where those boundaries should be. Whether that leads to something meaningful or just adds noise is to be seen, but it’s probably just a start to figuring out how to govern AI.