Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is renewing his push to strip legal protections from tech companies after reports that the suspected Florida State University shooter used ChatGPT extensively while planning last year’s campus attack.
“For years, Big Tech has been allowed to profit from dangerous content with zero accountability, while victims are left with nowhere to turn,” Patronis said.
Attorneys for the family of victim Robert Morales told WCTV that evidence shows Phoenix Ikner relied heavily on the AI chatbot as he prepared the April 17, 2025, shooting that killed two people and injured six others at FSU’s Tallahassee campus. A grand jury charged Ikner with the crimes.
The attorneys said they plan to sue ChatGPT and its parent company “very soon” to hold them accountable for Morales’ death.
Patronis argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields tech firms from liability, leaving victims without justice.
“As long as Section 230 stands, plaintiffs face an uphill battle and are denied the justice they deserve,” he said.
Patronis filed legislation in January seeking to repeal the provision, which protects online platforms from lawsuits over content posted by users.
