Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon says he is in contact with OpenAI and other AI platforms about their safety protocols after hearing reports that “concerning” online activity by the shooter in the Tumbler Ridge massacre was not reported to police.
The federal minister said in a Feb. 21 statement that he is “deeply disturbed” by reports that “concerning online activity” from the shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, “was not reported to law enforcement in a timely matter.”
“Canadians expect online platforms, including OpenAI, to have robust safety protocols and escalation practices in place to protect online safety and ensure law enforcement are warned about potential violence,” Solomon wrote.
“I am in contact with OpenAI and other AI platforms regarding their safety protocols.”
Solomon’s comments come after a Wall Street Journal report said OpenAI employees raised alarms about Van Rootselaar months before the Feb. 10 shooting, after he made posts about gun violence scenarios while using the ChatGPT platform last June.
The report said OpenAI’s automatic review system flagged Van Rootselaar’s posts and the company’s employees considered alerting authorities about his concerning interactions with the chatbot at the time.
A Feb. 21 statement from OpenAI said the company identified an account associated with Van Rootselaar last June and banned it after it was flagged for violating policy by a system that uses automated tools and human investigations.
However, OpenAI said the account didn’t meet the threshold required to inform law enforcement because the company couldn’t identify credible or imminent planning.
B.C. Premier David Eby said in a Feb. 21 statement that the reports alleging OpenAI had related intelligence before the shootings are “profoundly disturbing for the victims’ families and all British Columbians,” adding that the pain the families have gone through is “unimaginable.”
“We have confirmed with police that they are pursuing orders regarding the preservation of any potential evidence related to the shootings in Tumbler Ridge held by digital services companies, including social media platforms and AI companies,” Eby said.
Eby said he urges anyone with information related to the incident to “immediately contact police and provide their full co-operation.”
“We will use all powers of government to ensure that police have the tools they need to investigate every aspect of this horrific tragedy,” he added.
The RCMP have said that OpenAI contacted police after the shooting and that “digital and physical evidence is being collected, prioritized, and methodically processed” as part of the ongoing investigation.
Ottawa is “closely monitoring” the situation as the RCMP investigates the matter, Solomon said, adding that the federal government is reviewing several measures to ensure the safety of Canadians, particularly children.
“All options are on the table to ensure that public safety and the protection of our children are the cornerstone of any technology built into these systems from the outset,” he said.
The B.C. provincial government also said on Feb. 21 that its representatives met with OpenAI on Feb. 11, the day after the shootings, at a preplanned meeting to discuss the company’s potential interest in opening an office in Canada, but company officials didn’t mention concerns about Van Rootselaar’s online behaviour at the meeting.
The province said OpenAI then asked for the RCMP’s contact information the day after the meeting.
For its part, OpenAI said that once it became aware of Van Rootselaar’s name through media reports, it asked the FBI to reach out to the RCMP on Feb. 11, and later reached out to the premier’s office looking for a high-level RCMP contact.
The Feb. 10 shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and at a residence in Tumbler Ridge left 27 people injured and nine people dead, including Van Rootselaar, who police say died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The victims include five students aged 12 to 13, one educator, as well as the shooter’s mother and half-brother. Two of those injured were airlifted to hospital, with one currently remaining in critical condition.
Police say Van Rootselaar, who was born a male and began transitioning to female about six years ago, had a history of mental illness.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
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