A court in Palm Beach County, located in southern Florida, has imposed an eight-year probation sentence on 25-year-old Darren Zhou, a former financial analyst. Zhou utilized ChatGPT to orchestrate the kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder of his ex-girlfriend, prompting OpenAI to alert the FBI.
While working at Goldman Sachs in West Palm Beach, Zhou began communicating with the chatbot in March 2026, only weeks after his six-month relationship ended. He detailed violent plans in messages to the AI.
According to court documents reported by the Palm Beach Post, these exchanges quickly escalated from discussing the breakup to making explicit threats.
In one preserved message, Zhou told the chatbot, "I'm going to kill her by the end of this month." He further added, "If I can't have her, no one will."
The plans shared with the AI included waiting for her with flowers in the gym parking lot; if rejected, he intended to "pull out a gun, kill her, and then shoot himself."
Zhou also sent the victim images of an AR-15 rifle, a Glock pistol, a 12-gauge shotgun, plastic zip ties, and latex gloves.
The Escalation of Threats
Concurrently, Zhou harassed the young woman using various app-generated numbers, disregarding her repeated blocks. On her 21st birthday, he sent messages with explicit threats of sexual assault, including one that contained only the name of her current location.
The victim admitted to investigators that she did not report Zhou because, despite her fear, she hoped his behavior would not escalate and still harbored feelings for him.
OpenAI's emergency alert to the FBI resulted in two months of conversation logs being transferred to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department.
Detectives linked these logs to anonymous messages received by the woman, concluding that Zhou posed "a credible threat."
He was apprehended in May, spent two days in jail, and was released after posting a $100,000 bond. Goldman Sachs terminated his employment in June upon learning of the charges.
Legal Consequences and Plea Deal
Prosecutors charged Zhou with aggravated stalking, written threats of death, and illegal use of a communication device—offenses that could have resulted in up to 25 years in prison.
However, Zhou pleaded guilty to all three charges on Wednesday, reaching a plea deal that spared him from both jail time and a formal felony conviction.
Judge Scott Suskauer accepted the agreement, as the victim herself approved it. Before sentencing, he addressed Zhou directly: "Move on and let it go. There are other people in the world. No one deserves the behavior you subjected this woman to."
Zhou's defense attorney, Steven Bell, attributed his client's actions to "a very difficult mental health episode" and highlighted Zhou's magna cum laude graduation from Northeastern University with no prior criminal record.
This case is part of a series of incidents where ChatGPT has been linked to violent plans.
In April, Florida's attorney general launched an investigation into OpenAI following the chatbot's alleged connection to the 2025 shooting at Florida State University, where the shooter had engaged in over 270 conversations with the tool in the preceding year.
In June, OpenAI also notified the FBI about a man in Brazil planning to kill his eight-year-old son to avoid child support payments, leading to his timely arrest.
As part of his sentence, Zhou will wear an ankle monitor for the first two years, complete an abuser intervention program, undergo a mental health evaluation, and is prohibited from contacting the victim, possessing weapons, or consuming drugs and alcohol.
Understanding the Implications of AI in Criminal Activities
How did OpenAI intervene in this case?
OpenAI issued an emergency alert to the FBI after detecting the threatening plans detailed by Zhou using ChatGPT, which led to further investigation and his arrest.
What charges did Zhou face?
Zhou was charged with aggravated stalking, written threats of death, and illegal use of a communication device, which could have resulted in a lengthy prison sentence.
What role did mental health play in Zhou's defense?
Zhou's defense attorney cited a "very difficult mental health episode" as a factor in his client's behavior, emphasizing Zhou's previously clean record and academic achievements.