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The Canadian province of British Columbia has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming the company knew about the shooter's troubling ChatGPT conversations months before she carried out a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge in February but failed to warn police.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, names OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman as defendants.
The province is seeking compensation for costs stemming from the attack and an order requiring changes to how the company identifies and responds to threats of violence. Eight victims were killed in the Feb. 10 attack, Canada's deadliest school shooting since 1989.
The shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, killed her mother and stepbrother at home before killing an educational assistant and five children at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
More than two dozen people were also injured, according to the British Columbia government. Van Rootselaar later died by suicide.
The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI's safety team flagged her conversations about gun violence months before the attack, but the company did not notify police or local authorities.
OpenAI deactivated her account, but Van Rootselaar later created another and continued using the service, according to the lawsuit.
British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma said the case raises questions about technology companies' responsibilities when they become aware of credible threats of serious violence.
"The people of Tumbler Ridge have endured an unimaginable loss, and they deserve answers and accountability," Sharma said in a statement Monday.
She said OpenAI had not taken "meaningful steps" to address concerns raised by survivors, families and the community.
"The company still has an opportunity to demonstrate accountability by strengthening safeguards, improving transparency and taking concrete action to help prevent similar tragedies in the future," she added.
Altman apologized in April, saying he was "deeply sorry" OpenAI had not contacted law enforcement. He also promised changes to the company's safety practices.
The province's lawsuit follows more than 30 cases filed by victims' families, survivors, and others affected by the shooting.
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