ChatGPT Triggers Warning for Potential School Shooter Before Incident Occurred

A Canadian school shooter reportedly used an AI chatbot to describe violent scenarios just months before carrying out his mass shooting, prompting concerns about potential red flags and inadequate intervention by tech company OpenAI. Jesse Van Rootselaar, the suspect in the Tumbler Ridge shooting, engaged with ChatGPT in June, sharing graphic descriptions of gun violence that triggered the chatbot’s automated review system. The incident led employees to raise alarms among management, warning them about potential red flags and suggesting they contact authorities. However, OpenAI leaders ultimately declined to act on these warnings, concluding that Rootselaar’s posts did not constitute a credible risk of imminent harm. This decision has raised questions about the responsibility tech companies have in detecting and mitigating violent rhetoric before it becomes deadly.