Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
B.C.’s attorney general says the provincial government is suing OpenAI in California for its alleged role in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting in February.
Niki Sharma made the announcement at a news conference Monday.
She said the province is suing OpenAI for its failure to notify law enforcement of threats made on its platform, ChatGPT, before the mass shooting.
It is also suing the company for designing an unsafe product, Sharma said.
Six children and two adults were killed in the shooting on Feb. 10. The 18-year-old shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police.
“We owe it to the families, survivors, and everyone whose life was changed by this tragedy, to get answers and accountability,” Sharma said.
OpenAI said in an emailed statement that the events of Tumbler Ridge were an unspeakable tragedy.
“Our thoughts remain with the victims, their families, and the entire community,” said the statement.
“OpenAI remains committed to working collaboratively with government and law enforcement officials, and continuing to advance our ongoing safety work.”
B.C.’s lawsuit comes in the wake of victims filing multiple civil claims of their own against OpenAI, also in California, where the company is headquartered.
Sharma said the conversation between OpenAI’s ChatGPT and the shooter was alarming enough that it triggered an internal review, but that it was not reported to RCMP.
She said she has not read that conversation herself.
“We have asked OpenAI to disclose these chats. They have refused. We should all be asking them: Why?”
Sharma said the decision not to report the chats happened in California, which is one reason the province filed the lawsuit there.
The province is working closely with the affected families and the school district, according to Sharma, but she noted the families’ and victims’ lawsuits are separate from what the province is pursuing.
“Our focus is on the losses that the province suffered as a result of the conduct and harm, so the basis for our claim for damages is quite different,” Sharma said.
She said the province is seeking reimbursement for the building of a new Tumbler Ridge school. The old one was demolished in the wake of the tragedy.