Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Canada’s artificial intelligence minister says he is raising concerns with OpenAI, and other such platforms, about their safety protocols, after the tech company confirmed the account of the teenager behind the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting had been flagged internally but not reported to police.
In a statement Saturday, Evan Solomon, minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation, said he was “deeply disturbed” by reports that concerning online activity from the suspect was not reported to law enforcement in a timely manner.
“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 said.
Jesse Van Rootselaar has been identified by RCMP as the person who killed eight people in the northeast B.C. community on Feb. 10, including five children and an education assistant at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, before killing herself.
The story about her ChatGPT account was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Solomon says that he is in contact with OpenAI and other AI companies about their policies, and said the federal government is reviewing “a suite of measures” to protect 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,” Solomon said.
OpenAI didn’t disclose potential evidence after shooting: province
In a statement Saturday, the province said OpenAI did not inform government officials that it had potential evidence related to the Tumbler Ridge shooting despite meeting with a provincial representative the day after the attack.
The government said a representative met with OpenAI on Feb. 11, a meeting that had been scheduled weeks in advance and was related to the company’s interest in potentially opening an office in Canada.
The following day, OpenAI requested contact information for the RCMP, which was provided through the province’s director of policing and law-enforcement services.
Activity didn’t meet its threshold: OpenAI
OpenAI, the U.S.-based company behind ChatGPT, confirmed to CBC News that it had banned the account associated with Van Rootselaar.
The company said its systems detected the account through automated tools and human investigations to “identify misuses of our models in furtherance of violent activities.”
It said the account’s activity in June 2025 did not meet its threshold for referring the case to law enforcement but proactively reached out to RCMP with information on Van Rootselaar and her use of ChatGPT.
RCMP investigators have released an official image of Tumbler Ridge shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar, and described the chain of events on the day of the shooting — including RCMP officers being fired upon before finding Van Rootselaar dead of a self-inflected gunshot wound.
An RCMP spokesperson confirmed to CBC News that the platform reached out after the shooting, but said OpenAI had only flagged the account internally at first.
Premier David Eby called the reports “profoundly disturbing,” and said he has confirmed with police that they are pursuing preservation orders for any potential evidence held by digital service companies, including social media platforms and AI companies.
The Tumbler Ridge mass shooting is one of Canada’s worst-ever, leading to an outpouring of grief across the country and the world.
First Appeared on
Source link
Leave feedback about this