Carli Heller's Chatbot Message

Carli Heller wrote to an AI chatbot threatening to shoot the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, saying she would 'go to shoot up the sheriff’s right the f, now.'

“going to shoot up the sheriff’s right the f, now”

AI Safety Features Triggered

Anthropic’s safety features detected the threat and sent the chat to human reviewers, who escalated it to the FBI for police action.

Heller Arrested for Felony

Heller was arrested on Sept. 30, charged with making a written or electronic threat of mass shooting under Florida law, and pleaded not guilty.

Heller Denied Intent to Act

Heller admitted writing the messages but denied any intent to carry them out, claiming the AI was a 'personal diary' where she could express thoughts freely.

“personal diary”

Third U.S. Case in Months

This is the third U.S. case since August where chatbot messages led to police involvement, following incidents in San Antonio and San Francisco.

Experts Question Legal Validity

First Amendment scholars doubt the chatbot message can be a true threat under Florida law, as users often assume chats stay private.

Florida Legal Standard

Florida courts require proof that a person meant to threaten or knew the message would be viewed as a threat, a standard unlikely to be met here.

Heller's Next Steps

Heller’s arraignment is scheduled for November 2, with her attorney planning to challenge whether the chatbot message constitutes a true threat.