ChatGPT User's Threats to Ex Lead to Felony Charges and Probation

A former Goldman Sachs analyst has pleaded guilty to three felonies related to stalking and threatening his ex-girlfriend. Darren Zhou, 25, made detailed plans to rape and murder his ex in conversations with ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, in March.

OpenAI's policies state that a small team reviews interactions when the company detects harm-planning activity. In serious cases, they may send a tip to law enforcement. Zhou's messages quickly turned from threats of rape and murder to planning and rehearsal.

Federal agents handed over two months' worth of Zhou's chat logs to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in May. The girlfriend told investigators that she broke up with Zhou due to his 'erratic, jealous and controlling behavior.'