How a Florida man’s private AI conversations led to an FBI investigation

Zhou began using ChatGPT in March 2026, after his six-month relationship with his former girlfriend ended. A 25-year-old former Goldman Sachs analyst in Florida reportedly told ChatGPT about plans to sexually assault and kill his ex-girlfriend. The conversations later became part of an FBI investigation after OpenAI alerted federal authorities. As reported by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Darren Zhou, who was arrested in May, pleaded guilty to three charges on August 13. He avoided prison under a negotiated agreement and was sentenced to eight years of probation with strict conditions, including electronic monitoring and a ban on contacting his former girlfriend.The case has drawn attention to how conversations with AI chatbots can become part of a criminal investigation when messages indicate a possible threat to someone's safety.From breakup conversations to threats against his exAs reported by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Zhou began using ChatGPT in March 2026, after his six-month relationship with his former girlfriend ended. His early conversations reportedly focused on the breakup, his former girlfriend's interests, places she visited, jealousy and his desire to reconcil...