US Man Who Told ChatGPT "I'll Kill My Ex-Girlfriend" Arrested After OpenAI Report

Detailed Murder Plan Included Frequented Locations
Sentenced to 8 Years Probation and 2 Years Electronic Monitoring

A U.S. man who input a plan to kill his ex-girlfriend into the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT was apprehended following a report from OpenAI.

ChatGPT. AP Yonhap News

On the 14th (local time), IT news outlet Futurism and local newspaper Palm Beach Post reported that Darren Zhou (25), a former financial analyst at a major investment bank living in Florida, was arrested after engaging in a conversation with ChatGPT in March in which he stated his intent to kill his ex-girlfriend.

Zhou told ChatGPT, "I will kill her by the end of this month," and "If I can’t have her, no one can." He recorded details about the intended victim’s hobbies and places she frequents. He went on to share detailed plans, such as “I’ll wait with flowers in the parking lot at the gym my ex-girlfriend goes to, and if she rejects me, I’ll shoot her and end my own life.” He even boasted to ChatGPT that he had purchased a rifle, a pistol, and a shotgun, taking photos of the weapons and sending them to his ex-girlfriend.

Zhou's actions went beyond venting to ChatGPT; he actually engaged in harassing behavior, repeatedly calling and texting his ex-girlfriend.

OpenAI detected Zhou’s harmful conversation patterns and reported the information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Zhou was released shortly after his arrest by posting a $100,000 (about 142 million won) bond, but was subsequently fired from his investment bank job. He was indicted on charges including aggravated stalking and making written threats to kill; he pleaded guilty to all three charges and reached a plea deal. As a result, he avoided prison time and a felony record but was sentenced to eight years probation and required to wear an electronic monitoring device for two years. During the probation period, he is prohibited from contacting his ex-girlfriend and is restricted from firearms, alcohol, and drugs.

Zhou’s attorney argued, “He is neither a violent nor a bad person, but simply struggled with mental health issues,” claiming that his condition has since improved. The attorney also explained that, contrary to what was boasted to ChatGPT, Zhou did not actually possess any firearms.

Previously, OpenAI faced controversy after it failed to report to authorities that the perpetrator of a mass shooting in British Columbia, Canada, had repeatedly shared detailed plans of the crime with ChatGPT months before the incident. Families of the shooting victims filed a lawsuit against OpenAI seeking damages, and the provincial government retained legal counsel, signaling forthcoming legal action.

At the time, Sam Altman, OpenAI Chief Executive Officer (CEO), stated, “We stand with the victims, their families, community members, and all of British Columbia,” and emphasized his commitment to “finding ways to ensure such tragedies never happen again.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.