B.C. government says it will pursue legal action against OpenAI over Tumbler Ridge mass shooting

The British Columbia government says it is preparing to launch legal proceedings against OpenAI in connection with the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, alleging the company failed to alert police after identifying warning signs on its ChatGPT platform.

Attorney General Niki Sharma made the announcement during a news conference in Vancouver on Tuesday. According to Sharma, the province has retained legal counsel in both British Columbia and California, where OpenAI is headquartered, to pursue the case on behalf of the government.

Sharma alleged that OpenAI identified violent activity linked to the suspect on ChatGPT months before the Feb. 10 attack but did not notify police or local authorities. She said the province believes that failure contributed to the tragedy and will seek accountability through the courts. Connect Newsroom has not independently verified those allegations. OpenAI was contacted for comment. No response was received by publication time.

According to the attorney general, eight people, including a teacher and five children between the ages of 11 and 13, were killed in the shooting, while 27 others were injured. Sharma also said several victims' families have already filed a separate civil lawsuit against OpenAI in California. The province's legal action would proceed independently of those cases.