Zhou began using ChatGPT in March 2026, after his six-month relationship with his former girlfriend ended.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office then conducted a welfare check on Zhou’s former girlfriend, who was 21 at the time. Because of Zhou’s erratic, jealous and controlling behaviour, she told investigators that she had ended the relationship. Because she was afraid of his reaction, she reportedly chose to break up over the phone. Because zhou’s former girlfriend had agreed to it, the judge accepted the agreement partly.
They contained repeated discussions of possible violence and plans involving his former girlfriend, according to South Florida Sun Sentinel. Investigators said he described a plan to use a gun if she rejected him. The chats contained repeated discussions of possible violence and plans involving his former girlfriend, according to the reports. The case began with OpenAI detecting the threatening conversations, according to the reports. Investigators also said Zhou continued contacting her after the breakup through phone calls, text messages and social media. The woman provided screenshots of the alleged communications, according to the report. The probation order includes several restrictions, according to the reports: Electronic monitoring through an ankle monitor for the first two years.
The messages reviewed by investigators were described as more than expressions of anger or distress. Zhou allegedly discussed waiting for her at a gym with flowers and asking her to reconcile. Zhou discussed forcing his former girlfriend to go to his home, sexually assaulting her and holding her captive. FBI received information from OpenAI and provided Palm Beach County investigators with around two months of Zhou’s chat history. The FBI reportedly contacted local authorities six days before his arrest. When she blocked him, he allegedly used numbers generated through different apps to continue contacting her. Completion of a batterer intervention programme. A mental health evaluation. No drugs or alcohol. No possession of guns. No contact with his former girlfriend.
