British Columbia Sues OpenAI Over Tumbler Ridge School Shooting Allegations

British Columbia filed a lawsuit in California against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman over the company’s alleged role in the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School shooting. The province alleges ChatGPT reinforced the shooter’s violent ideation instead of interrupting it or directing the user to real-world help.

Niki Sharma, British Columbia’s Deputy Premier and Attorney General, said the case seeks to hold OpenAI accountable for designing and distributing what the lawsuit calls a dangerous product.

Sharma said OpenAI confirmed the ChatGPT conversation with the shooter was alarming enough to trigger an internal review by employees. She said the threat was not reported to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and was later dismissed.

The lawsuit also says OpenAI has withheld the conversations from the province, and Sharma said she had not personally reviewed them.

According to the lawsuit filing cited by Business Insider, the February 10 shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School killed five students and an education assistant and injured more than 25 people. The 18-year-old shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

British Columbia is seeking to make OpenAI pay for the cost of replacing the school, which was demolished after the attack.

An OpenAI spokesperson told Business Insider the shooting was “an unspeakable tragedy” and said the company remains committed to working with government and law enforcement officials while advancing safety work.

The provincial lawsuit is separate from cases brought by survivors and victims’ families. Business Insider reported that more than 30 such lawsuits had been filed against OpenAI by early September.