OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sorry he didn’t report Canada shooting suspect
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has apologized to a Canadian community for failing to alert police to a mass shooter’s conversations with his chatbot.
Authorities said Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, killed eight people, including schoolchildren, in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, before killing himself in February.
“I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement about the account that was banned in June,” Altman said in a letter Thursday. “While I know words are never enough, I believe an apology is necessary to acknowledge the harm and irreversible loss your community has suffered. »
British Columbia Premier David Eby posted the letter on social media on Friday.
The letter came after The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported this year that Van Rootselaar had spoken with ChatGPT about gun violence, prompting OpenAI employees to debate whether to alert Canadian law enforcement.
OpenAI banned the user’s account but decided not to notify police after considering whether the activity would be considered an imminent and serious risk of physical harm to others.
Tech companies have faced increased scrutiny following mass shootings over how criminals use their tools to plan attacks or broadcast killings. But the rise of artificial intelligence chatbots that quickly answer questions and generate content also means people are expressing their darkest thoughts online. AI companies now face debates over the balance between public safety and privacy, while grappling with new lawsuits and investigations.
In March, the family of a hospitalized Tumbler Ridge shooting victim sued OpenAI, alleging the company knew the shooter was planning a mass attack but failed to alert law enforcement.
In an article published Friday on X, Eby called the apology “necessary, yet grossly insufficient for the devastation caused to the families of Tumbler Ridge.”
In the letter, Altman said he spoke to Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka and Eby about the shooting, and they agreed to issue a public apology. Altman said he was determined to find ways to prevent such tragedies.
“Moving forward, we will continue to focus on working with all levels of government to ensure that something like this does not happen again,” Altman said in the letter.
OpenAI is also grappling with backlash over whether it is doing enough to protect public safety in the United States.
Last week, Florida’s attorney general launched a criminal investigation into ChatGPT and OpenAI to determine whether the San Francisco AI company “bears criminal responsibility” for the chatbot’s actions during a shooting at Florida State University last year that left two people dead. Prosecutors had reviewed conversations between the suspect, Phoenix Ikner, and ChatGPT.
