The province of British Columbia, Canada, has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in California. The legal action follows a shooting incident in Tumbler Ridge on February 10, 2025, which resulted in the deaths of nine people, including the perpetrator, Jesse Van Rootselaar.
Investigations revealed that the suspect used ChatGPT prior to the attack. OpenAI identified suspicious activity on the user's account in 2025 and subsequently banned it. However, the company failed to notify law enforcement authorities regarding the potential threat.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman issued a public apology in April regarding the company's failure to alert officials. The firm previously stated in February that under its updated internal rules, it would have been required to report such a situation to the police.
The provincial government is now calling for amendments to the Canadian Criminal Code to establish human accountability for AI-driven actions. Officials are seeking increased transparency and stronger safety measures from the developer to prevent future tragedies.
