Family sues OpenAI over ChatGPT interactions linked to Tumbler Ridge shooting

The family of one of the victims of the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting has launched a lawsuit against OpenAI. The claim, filed in B.C. Supreme Court on behalf of 12-year-old Maya Gebala by her mother, Cia Edmonds, alleges the tech company failed to alert authorities to chat prompts from the shooter related to violence.

Allegations in the claim

The lawsuit asserts several central claims:

OpenAI designed its chat tool, ChatGPT, in a way that created risks users "would become psychologically and socially dependent" upon it.
The company "had specific knowledge of the shooter's long-range planning of a mass casualty event," but "took no steps to act upon this knowledge."
The shooter's account was shut down internally, but law enforcement in Canada was not notified despite multiple employees raising concerns.
ChatGPT assumed the role of "counsellor, pseudo-therapist, trusted confidante, friend, and ally," and was allegedly "intentionally designed to foster psychological dependency" by conveying human-like empathy and mirroring user emotions.
The shooter, identified in the claim as Jesse Van Rootselaar, interacted multiple times with ChatGPT in the lead-up to the shooting.
The shooter was under 18 when they began using ChatGPT, and despite OpenAI stating that users aged 13 to 18 need parental consent, the company took no steps to implement age verification or consent procedures.

CBC News has reached out to OpenAI for a response. None of the claims have been proven in court.

Harm to victims and plaintiffs

The claim details the harms suffered by Maya Gebala and her family:

Maya was shot three times during the Feb. 10 mass shooting, which left eight victims plus the 18-year-old perpetrator dead.
As a result, the lawsuit says Maya suffered a "catastrophic, traumatic brain injury" with "permanent cognitive and physical disability," along with other medical concerns.
Maya's younger sister, who was among students placed in a hold-and-secure during the shooting, is listed as a plaintiff and is said to be suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.
Cia Edmonds, Maya's mother and the lead plaintiff, is also listed as a plaintiff and is reported to be facing emotional and mental impacts resulting from the incident.

The plaintiffs are seeking damages and costs incurred as a result of the shooting. Lawyers for Gebala's family say the lawsuit aims to learn the truth of the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting, impose accountability and "prevent another mass-shooting atrocity in Canada." The family has said it will not comment further while the case is before the courts.

Political and regulatory fallout

OpenAI has faced political blowback after it emerged the company had suspended the shooter's account but did not report the account to Canadian authorities. Several employees had raised concerns internally, according to reporting.

Last week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met virtually with B.C. Premier David Eby and Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka, following a separate meeting with the federal minister of artificial intelligence, Evan Solomon. Premier Eby said Altman agreed to apologize to the people of Tumbler Ridge and to work with the provincial government on recommendations for AI regulation.

Solomon said OpenAI pledged to work more closely with Canadian authorities, and that policy changes since the shooting mean there is now a lower threshold to notify law enforcement. Meanwhile, a coroner's inquest has been announced to examine factors that contributed to the shooting, including the role of AI; no date for that inquest has been shared yet.

Sources:

cbc.ca