British Columbia sues OpenAI over ChatGPT role in Tumbler Ridge school shooting
British Columbia has sued OpenAI and Sam Altman in a San Francisco federal court, alleging the company failed to warn police that the Tumbler Ridge shooter had used ChatGPT to plan the February massacre that killed nine.
The Province of British Columbia sued OpenAI in California on Monday, alleging a mass shooting at a school in the province could have been prevented if the company had warned local law enforcement that the shooter had used ChatGPT to plan the massacre, Reuters reported.
The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco federal court, names OpenAI and its chief executive Sam Altman as defendants. It seeks damages to cover what the province has and will spend on its recovery from the February attack, and an order directing changes to how the company handles ChatGPT conversations that could lead to violence.
The province alleges that shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar had been flagged by the company’s safety team after her conversations about gun violence, but the company did not alert police. Nine people, primarily children, were killed in the Tumbler Ridge attack. The suit claims Altman published a letter saying he was “deeply sorry” and promised reforms but never followed through, despite efforts from British Columbia’s attorney general to engage.
OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri called the shooting “an unspeakable tragedy”, adding: “OpenAI remains committed to working collaboratively with government and law enforcement officials, and continuing to advance our ongoing safety work.”
The province’s suit follows more than 30 lawsuits filed by family members of victims in California federal court, Channel News Asia reported.
Sources
More on this topic: all Technology stories
