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Seven lawsuits filed against OpenAI by families of Canada mass-shooting victims
TL;DR
Seven families of victims from a mass shooting in Canada have filed lawsuits against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, claiming the company ignored alarming ChatGPT interactions by the shooter. The incident, which occurred in February, resulted in eight deaths, including six children.
Key points
- Seven families filed lawsuits against OpenAI and Sam Altman
- Mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, Canada, resulted in eight deaths
- Shooter's ChatGPT activity was flagged for gun violence references
- OpenAI did not alert local police about the flagged activity
- Sam Altman apologized to the victims' families
Mentioned in this story
OpenAISam AltmanTumbler RidgeJessie Van Rootselaar
Seven families of victims killed or injured in a mass shooting in Canada have filed lawsuits against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman in a California court, accusing him and the company of ignoring the shooter's troubling interactions with ChatGPT.
Eight people were killed, including six children, when 18-year-old Jessie Van Rootselaar opened fire at a secondary school in the Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, in February.
Media reports have since revealed that Van Rootselaar's ChatGPT activity was flagged by OpenAI's safety team months before the attack for references to gun violence, but the company did not alert local police.
Last week, Altman apologised to families of the victims.
"I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement," Altman wrote in an open letter published by local news outlet Tumbler RidgeLines.
"While I know words can never be enough, I believe an apology is necessary to recognize the harm and irreversible loss your community has suffered."
In a statement responding to the lawsuits, an OpenAI spokesperson said the company has "a zero-tolerance policy for using our tools to assist in committing violence."
The spokesperson added that OpenAI had "already strengthened our safeguards", including better assessment and escalation of "potential threats of violence."
The company also published a blog on Tuesday outlining how OpenAI responds to users who display potentially dangerous behaviour on ChatGPT.
The new legal actions were filed in a California court on Wednesday by a joint legal team from the US and Canada.
It will replace a previous lawsuit filed in a Canadian court by the family of one surviving victim, 12-year-old Maya Gebala, which is being voluntarily withdrawn.
Gebala remains in hospital after being shot three times, in the head, neck and cheek.
Jay Edelson, the lawyer representing the families and community members in the new lawsuits, said he expects to file more than two dozen legal actions on behalf of Tumbler Ridge victims and community members against OpenAI.
He added he will be requesting trials by jury in each case.
"We feel very comfortable making a case in front of a jury," he told the BBC.
The lawsuits accuse OpenAI and its senior leadership, including Altman, of negligence and aiding and abetting the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting by failing to alert law enforcement of the suspect's ChatGPT activities prior to the attack.
One lawsuit naming Gebala and her family alleges that that OpenAI "had actual knowledge" of the shooter's intention to carry out an attack through conversations with ChatGPT, where the shooter described "scenarios involving gun violence".
The conversations were flagged by a 12-person safety team at OpenAI, who recommended that the suspect be reported to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Edelson said.
Q&A
What are the details of the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, Canada?
The mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge occurred in February, resulting in eight deaths, including six children, when 18-year-old Jessie Van Rootselaar opened fire at a secondary school.
Why are families suing OpenAI and Sam Altman?
Families are suing OpenAI and Sam Altman for allegedly ignoring troubling interactions the shooter had with ChatGPT, which were flagged for references to gun violence prior to the attack.
What did OpenAI's safety team do regarding the shooter's ChatGPT activity?
OpenAI's safety team flagged the shooter's ChatGPT activity for references to gun violence months before the attack but did not notify local police.
What was Sam Altman's response to the families of the victims?
Sam Altman publicly apologized to the families of the victims, expressing regret for not alerting law enforcement about the flagged ChatGPT interactions.
