Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon summons OpenAI’s senior safety team to Ottawa for urgent discussions on safety protocols following the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting. The shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, faced a ChatGPT account ban months earlier due to troubling content.
Government Calls for Accountability
Solomon expresses deep concern over reports that Van Rootselaar’s account drew internal flags for posts involving gun violence scenarios. OpenAI banned the account in June, determining the activity did not warrant notifying law enforcement at the time, as it lacked evidence of imminent threats.
The minister contacts the company over the weekend, scheduling a Tuesday in-person meeting. “We will have a sit-down meeting to have an explanation of their safety protocols and their thresholds of escalation to police so we have a better understanding of what’s happening and what they do,” Solomon states.
Solomon declines to confirm plans for regulating AI chatbots like ChatGPT but notes all regulatory options remain under consideration.
Shooting Details and Company Response
On February 10, Van Rootselaar kills her mother and half-brother before targeting Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where she murders five students and an educational assistant prior to taking her own life.
OpenAI notifies the RCMP after the incident. A company spokesperson confirms the Ottawa visit: “Senior leaders from our team are travelling to Ottawa to meet in person with government officials to discuss our overall approach to safety, safeguards we have in place and how we continuously work to strengthen them.”
Calls for Stricter Reporting Duties
Alan Mackworth, professor emeritus in the University of British Columbia’s computer science department and AI safety expert, advocates for mandatory reporting. “Many professionals, such as teachers and doctors, have a ‘duty to report’ any suspected case of harm to or abuse of a minor. These obligations are enshrined in law and/or professional ethics. Similar obligations should be placed on social media and AI companies,” he states.
