The ChatGPT maker said that it identified the account of Jesse Van Rootselaar via abuse detection efforts for “furtherance of violent activities” last year in June. OpenAI said that it was weighing whether or not it should relay the information about the 18-year-old shooter to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
OpenAI had considered alerting the police about the individual who opened fire in a school in Canada’s British Columbia that killed eight people in the worst shooting the country has ever seen.
The ChatGPT maker said that it identified the account of Jesse Van Rootselaar via abuse detection efforts for “furtherance of violent activities” last year in June. OpenAI said that it was weighing whether or not it should relay the information about the 18-year-old shooter to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
It was ultimately decided that at the time, the account activity did not meet a threshold for referral to law enforcement. OpenAI, however, banned the account associated with Rootselaar.
OpenAI said the threshold for referring a user to law enforcement was whether the case involved an imminent and credible risk of serious physical harm to others. The company said it did not identify credible or imminent planning. The Wall Street Journal first reported OpenAI’s revelation.
OpenAI said that, after learning of the school shooting, employees reached out to the RCMP with information on the individual and their use of ChatGPT.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the Tumbler Ridge tragedy,” an OpenAI spokesperson said. “We proactively reached out to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with information on the individual and their use of ChatGPT, and we’ll continue to support their investigation.”
Van Rootselaar killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother in the house before heading to the school, where she shot dead six more people – five students and a teacher – then killed herself.
The shooter’s estranged father, Justin Van Rootselaar, sent a statement to the public broadcaster CBC offering condolences for a “senseless and unforgivable act of violence.”
Officers released a photo of the shooter, who was known to have mental health issues. She is shown wearing a hoodie with an expressionless face.
With inputs from agencies
End of Article
