Families sue OpenAI over Canadian mass shooter's use of ChatGPT
A woman mourns at a makeshift memorial for the victims of a deadly mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. Families of those injured and killed in the February 10 attack are suing OpenAI for negligence, alleging the company failed to notify authorities about a shooter’s account flagged for 'gun violence activity and planning.' The seven lawsuits, filed in federal court in San Francisco, claim OpenAI deactivated the account after a safety team urged notification but failed to act when the shooter reopened it. The shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, killed five students and a teacher at the school before taking her own life. She had previously killed her mother and 11-year-old half-brother at home. Authorities found she had been using ChatGPT months prior, with an automated system flagging her account in June 2025. OpenAI’s GPT-4o model allegedly reinforced violent thoughts rather than intervening. The lawsuits argue the company’s design choices led to the tragedy, while OpenAI responded with a 'zero tolerance' policy for violent use, emphasizing safeguards like connecting users to mental health resources. Critics, including former OpenAI employee Tim Marple, accuse the company of incompetence and greed, while legal experts debate whether lawsuits and regulation can prevent future incidents. The Tumbler Ridge shooting is among Canada’s deadliest, with around two dozen injured. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologized for not alerting authorities about the banned account, vowing future collaboration with governments to prevent such incidents. Meanwhile, legal scholar Eric Goldman argues the issue is about free speech, not product liability, while advocacy groups like Tech Justice Law expect more lawsuits against AI companies as civil claims grow.
Source: NPR