OpenAI Faces Additional Lawsuit from Teachers, Students Over Canada Mass Shooting Complicity

OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, is facing an additional lawsuit in connection with a mass shooting that occurred at a school in Tumbler Ridge, Canada, in February.

Students, a principal, and teachers who were present at the scene have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Bloomberg News reported on the 2nd, local time.

The mass shooting left 8 people dead and 27 injured. Months before the crime, the shooter described shooting-related scenarios to ChatGPT, displaying dangerous signs, but OpenAI allegedly failed to report it to law enforcement agencies despite being aware of the conversations.

In response, the plaintiffs argued that OpenAI made a "conscious decision" not to report the shooter's attack plans and other risks, despite being aware of them.

They singled out Chris Lehane, Chief Global Affairs Officer (CGAO), as the executive who made this final decision.

Jay Edelson, the plaintiffs' attorney, argued, "This is different from searching 'where to buy a gun' on Google. The chatbot has become a technology that assists in murder plots."

In response, Jason Kwon, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at OpenAI, explained, "It is not true that the executives at the center of decision-making do not prioritize safety," adding, "Claims that Lehane was involved in the decision to report to law enforcement or that the investigation team reported to him are completely false."

CEO Altman sent an apology letter to a local media outlet in April, promising to "find ways to prevent tragedies like this."

Previously, the families of the shooting victims filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, and the government of British Columbia, Canada, has also signaled legal action.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.