North Carolina police confirmed that a Charlotte woman was arrested after allegedly using ChatGPT to research lethal and incapacitating prescription drug combinations to kill her estranged spouse.
Cheryl Gates, 43, was charged with attempted first-degree murder, and her husband, James Gates, is named as the victim in the charging documents.
James Gates, who did not respond to requests for comment, filed an application for custody of the couple’s 9-year-old and 6-year-old children on Oct. 8.
Although the husband described his condition as incapacitated, he was not hospitalized and did not seek medical treatment, according to the court document.
“Through email, Chat GPT, Meta messages and Apple records, investigators were able to find that the defendant research, purchased, and attempted to carry out her plan,” the warrant states. “Syringes, capsule filling kit, medical droppers, scales, medications and other evidence were located within her work space at the residence and collected and turned in as evidence.”
OpenAI, owner of ChatGPT, did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
"This incident occurred off school property and did not involve any student, teacher or facility," law enforcement officials said.
The affidavit further states that Cheryl Gates researched the effects of oleander, ricin, and fox glove poisoning.
As recently as Oct. 13, court records show that Cheryl Gates is still in custody with no bond set. Her next court appearance is on Oct. 30 at Mecklenburg County Courthouse.
No attorney is listed as a legal representative for Cheryl Gates at this time.