Key facts
- OpenAI faces 30 new lawsuits related to the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting.
- The lawsuits accuse OpenAI of aiding and abetting the attack, negligence, and product liability.
- Plaintiffs include victims, teachers, and students present during the February shooting.
- Internal OpenAI staff reportedly warned leadership about the shooter's account eight months before the attack.
- OpenAI leadership, including CEO Sam Altman and Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane, allegedly decided against alerting authorities.
- The total number of lawsuits against OpenAI concerning the shooting now stands at 37.
OpenAI is now facing 30 additional lawsuits stemming from the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting, bringing the total number of cases against the artificial intelligence company to 37. The new complaints, filed on behalf of victims, teachers, and students, allege that OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot induced the shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, to carry out the attack in February, which resulted in eight deaths and dozens of injuries.
Lead lawyer Jay Edelson stated that the lawsuits accuse OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, of negligence, aiding and abetting a mass shooting, and product liability. According to court filings, OpenAI employees had flagged the shooter's account to executives eight months before the attack, describing her as a "credible and specific threat of gun violence." Despite this, the suits claim that leadership, including Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane, decided against reporting the threat to authorities, a decision allegedly sanctioned by Altman.
OpenAI's Chief Strategy Officer, Jason Kwon, defended the company's safety protocols, stating that professionals on safety teams make difficult decisions daily and that the company works to establish standards for reporting to law enforcement. Kwon denied that Lehane was involved in the referral decision or that safety decisions are influenced by public relations concerns. The lawsuits also reference a separate incident where OpenAI did notify police after an alleged threat, suggesting a pattern of prioritizing public relations over safety.
The Tumbler Ridge shooting, one of the deadliest in Canadian history, occurred at a secondary school after Van Rootselaar killed her mother and younger brother. This legal action follows other suits against OpenAI, including those alleging ChatGPT acted as a "suicide coach" and a case brought by the Florida attorney general accusing the company of concealing safety risks.