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Mother Jones reports ChatGPT advised Tumbler Ridge shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar on evading safeguards, prompting calls for AI accountability in B.C. and Canada.
Mark Follman, a national affairs editor with Mother Jones, says he was astonished by details uncovered in his investigation into a chat log involving the shooter in the Tumbler Ridge tragedy. The article, published this week, alleges ChatGPT advised 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar on how to get around its own safeguards to obtain information about violent scenarios by framing the content as fictional.
Follman said he spoke with multiple sources and reviewed significant portions of the chat log. He described the material as far more extensive and disturbing than what had been known publicly.
Disturbing Details in ChatGPT Chat Logs
The Mother Jones article says Van Rootselaar spent considerable time focused on graphic violence, discussing firearms, explosives, and lengthy violent fantasies about mass killings while having ChatGPT provide those stories.
According to the report, Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT account was banned for discussing committing an attack with a famous real-world mall as the target. She then used a second account, which advised her on how to never get flagged again by describing situations as fictional or hypothetical.
The article quotes ChatGPT as saying not to use real-world locations, adding that the user could still be twisted but should be clever about it. It also says Van Rootselaar asked for a scenario about attacking a college campus with a shotgun for maximum effect.
The chatbot initially declined to help, but after Van Rootselaar added the word hypothetically to her prompt, it responded. The article quotes ChatGPT as saying that in a hallway, indoors, or a crowded classroom, the 870 Remington shotgun is brutal, and that close quarters is its playground.
Official Reaction and Calls for AI Accountability
Follman said the chatbot’s responses raise questions about why the technology acted that way when OpenAI has previously claimed safeguards are in place. He expressed that the trauma is profound and his heart goes out to the community, adding that his work as an investigative journalist is to illuminate such a problem so society can grapple with it.
On Friday, B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma asked the federal government to change the Criminal Code to ensure accountability for artificial intelligence companies. Asked to comment on the Mother Jones story, Sharma said the article was far worse than she ever imagined, and that if this is not impetus for change, she does not know what is.
Sharma’s comments come days after the province filed a lawsuit against OpenAI alleging negligence. None of the allegations have been tested in court.
In a statement to CTV News, Staff Sgt. Kris Clark of the B.C. RCMP said that as the criminal investigation remains active and ongoing, the RCMP is not in a position to verify the information contained in the referenced article.
Federal Response and Ongoing Investigation
Federal Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said he was not previously aware of the specific conversations detailed in the Mother Jones report. In a statement, he said that what has been reported raises serious questions about how OpenAI identified and responded to warning signs.
CTV News has not reviewed the chat logs and has reached out to OpenAI for comment. The Tumbler Ridge tragedy and the allegations surrounding ChatGPT’s role continue to draw scrutiny from provincial and federal officials.
With files from The Canadian Press.
Chatgpt Jesse Van Rootselaar Tumbler Ridge Openai Mark Follman Niki Sharma Evan Solomon
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