BC Premier Suggests OpenAI Could've Prevented Shooting

Canada's new artificial intelligence minister says OpenAI had few answers when pressed about its decision to ban the ChatGPT account of a future mass shooter without informing police of her concerning messages. Evan Solomon said he left a Tuesday meeting with senior OpenAI officials "disappointed," after asking why the company shut down the Tumbler Ridge shooter's account in June, months before the Feb. 10 killings, but didn't take that extra step, per the CBC. OpenAI has said the user, Jesse Van Rootselaar, was banned over disturbing material, including gun violence scenarios, but that the content didn't meet its internal standard for notifying law enforcement because it didn't show credible or imminent attack planning.

Solomon said he had expected "concrete proposals" and clear evidence that OpenAI had tightened its safeguards since the attack, in which Van Rootselaar killed her mother, half-brother, five students, an educational assistant, and then herself. Instead, he said, the firm mainly pointed to technical model changes. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said "nothing substantial" emerged beyond Ottawa's demand that the company "do a lot better," while Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller warned the government "will act" if needed. Solomon said all regulatory options remain on the table because "Canadians want to feel safe."

OpenAI, which notified the RCMP only after the shooting, thanked ministers for a "frank discussion," adding it would soon outline further steps. British Columbia Premier David Eby has been openly furious, noting families are asking whether their children would still be alive if OpenAI had immediately informed authorities, as some employees reportedly wanted to do. "From the outside, it looks like they had a chance to prevent this," Eby said. Van Rootselaar, who had described numerous mental health issues and an incident in which she "burnt my house down" on social media, also created a Roblox game that involved shooting characters at a mall, Reuters reports. Roblox said her account and the game, which had only seven visits, were removed a day after the shooting.