Inside a Mass Shooter’s Harrowing History With ChatGPT

Editor’s note: This story discusses suicide and sexual violence. Read part 1 of our investigation into AI chatbots and violence here and part 2 here. On the morning of April 17, 2025, Phoenix Ikner was using ChatGPT to prepare. Over nearly three hours, the Florida State University student asked OpenAI’s popular chatbot eight questions about…