Goldman Sachs Analyst Sentenced After OpenAI Reported His ChatGPT Plans To Murder His Ex to FBI

A former Goldman Sachs analyst who used ChatGPT to discuss plans to rape and kill his ex-girlfriend has been sentenced to eight years of probation after OpenAI flagged his messages as a serious threat and reported them to the FBI, according to investigative records.

Darren Shida Zhou, 25, pleaded guilty in Florida to aggravated stalking, written threats to kill or cause bodily harm and unlawful use of a communications device. A judge withheld adjudication and sentenced him to eight years of probation instead of entering a felony conviction.

Ex-Girlfriend Described Him as Controlling

Zhou's former girlfriend told investigators she ended their six-month relationship because of what she described as his 'erratic, jealous and controlling behaviour'. After the breakup, she said Zhou continued contacting her despite repeated requests to stop.

She blocked his calls and messages, but he contacted her through other numbers and social media accounts, according to investigative records. Some of the messages became threatening.

Zhou questioned comments left by other men on her TikTok videos and accused her of moving on quickly. The woman told deputies she feared how Zhou would react to the breakup and initially did not report the messages.

While he continued trying to contact her, Zhou also discussed the relationship with ChatGPT.

ChatGPT Messages Detailed Murder Plans

According to the investigative records, Zhou's conversations with ChatGPT escalated from discussions about the breakup to detailed plans involving his former girlfriend. In one message, he wrote: 'I'm gonna kill her by the end of this month.' In another, he said: 'If I can't have her then nobody can.'

Zhou also described a plan to wait for the woman outside her gym with flowers. If she rejected him, he said he would draw a gun and kill her before killing himself, according to the records. Other messages described plans to sexually assault her, hold her hostage and use firearms against her.

Investigators also found that Zhou had told the chatbot about firearms and said he had sent his former girlfriend photographs of guns, zip ties and latex gloves. The messages reviewed by investigators covered about two months.

A sheriff's deputy who examined them said they showed a pattern of planning rather than isolated emotional statements, according to the investigative records.

OpenAI Alerted FBI to Threats

OpenAI identified Zhou's conversations as a serious threat and reported the case to the FBI, according to reports based on the investigative records.

Federal agents later provided the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office with the ChatGPT records, allowing detectives to compare them with messages sent directly to Zhou's former girlfriend.

The woman had preserved screenshots of messages she received from Zhou, including communications sent after she blocked him.

Investigators used those records alongside the ChatGPT conversations as they built the case. Deputies conducted a welfare check on the woman before arresting Zhou in May.

Analyst Arrested and Fired

Zhou was arrested on 29 May and booked into Palm Beach County Jail on charges including aggravated stalking and written threats to kill or cause bodily harm. He spent two days in jail before posting bail, according to reports based on the case records.

Goldman Sachs later fired Zhou after learning about the case. He had worked as a financial analyst at the bank.

Prosecutors subsequently charged him with three felonies. The charges carried a potential prison sentence of up to 25 years, according to reports on the case.

Zhou pleaded guilty on 13 August as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

Eight Years of Probation Imposed

Circuit Judge Scott Suskauer withheld adjudication and sentenced Zhou to eight years of probation. The conditions include electronic monitoring for the first two years, a ban on contact with his former girlfriend and a prohibition on possessing firearms.

Zhou must also complete a batterer intervention programme and undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment. Before imposing the sentence, Suskauer addressed Zhou directly and told him to move on from the relationship.

'Get over it and move on,' the judge said. 'There are other people in the world. You understand me? No one deserves the type of conduct that you exposed this lady to.'

Zhou's lawyer, Steven Bell, said his client had no previous criminal record and described the case as a mental health episode. He called the resolution 'extremely fair and just'. The sentencing agreement was approved after Zhou's former girlfriend agreed to it, according to the court reporting.