The B.C. government is pursuing legal action against OpenAI over the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting tragedy, Attorney General Niki Sharma announced Tuesday.
Sharma said officials have hired lawyers in both B.C. and California—where the artificial intelligence company is headquartered—in the hopes of securing support for the northern community.
That includes help with the building of a new school in Tumbler Ridge, to replace the one where one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings took place back in February.
“No family or community should have to endure this kind of grief, and we stand alongside the people of Tumbler Ridge as they mourn and move through the long process of healing,” Sharma said during a news conference in Vancouver.
“Accountability is also part of that process. When there are serious concerns that opportunities to prevent harm were missed, we as a government have the responsibility to act.”
OpenAI has acknowledged an account belonging to the shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, was banned last year, and that the company considered notifying police about concerning interactions that violated its policies—but ultimately chose not to do so.
CEO Sam Altman issued an apology letter to the community in April.
“I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement to the account that was banned,” Altman wrote.
Sharma said the province’s legal efforts will seek to hold both the company and its “decision-makers” accountable.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
