British Columbia sues OpenAI over Tumbler Ridge school recovery costs
British Columbia seeks damages for a replacement school and care services, alleging OpenAI failed to warn police before the Tumbler Ridge shooting.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
British Columbia has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman, seeking recovery costs after the February shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. The British Columbia OpenAI school lawsuit alleges that the company could have alerted police after identifying violent use of ChatGPT; that allegation has not been decided by a court.
The province filed the case in federal court in San Francisco, according to The Guardian. It seeks damages to support Tumbler Ridge’s rebuilding and recovery, as well as a court order requiring changes to OpenAI’s handling of ChatGPT conversations that may signal violence.
What does the British Columbia OpenAI lawsuit seek?
The province is asking for money to cover a replacement school, mental-health care and other emergency and recovery expenses, according to Ars Technica and The Guardian. It is not a ruling that OpenAI must pay for a new school: the funding is among the damages sought in a pending case.
Tumbler Ridge Secondary School closed after the shooting and did not reopen. Ars Technica reported that demolition began in August and that students have been attending classes in temporary modular facilities while the community pursues a replacement school at another location.
British Columbia also wants an injunction directing OpenAI to alter how ChatGPT responds to potentially violent exchanges. Ars Technica reported that the complaint seeks a system that would automatically end violent conversations. The province and the local school board also asked for an immediate order requiring OpenAI to make the shooter’s chat logs public, the outlet reported.
What does British Columbia allege OpenAI should have done?
The lawsuit says OpenAI failed to alert law enforcement after its safety systems flagged the shooter’s account over conversations involving gun violence. The Guardian reported that the province alleges the company could have prevented the attack by reporting the activity to police.
OpenAI has previously said it identified the account for misuse related to violent activity, but determined that it did not meet the company’s internal threshold for a law-enforcement referral, according to KQED’s reporting with the Associated Press. The company said it banned the account for violating its usage policy.
In response to the provincial suit, an OpenAI spokesperson described the event as an unspeakable tragedy and said the company would continue safety work and collaborate with government and law-enforcement officials, Ars Technica reported. OpenAI has also said it has strengthened safeguards, including its assessment and escalation of possible threats of violence, KQED reported.
What has happened so far?
The province’s action follows separate lawsuits by victims’ families, survivors and others affected by the shooting. Those cases allege that OpenAI failed to warn authorities and remain unresolved, according to the Financial Post.
British Columbia’s complaint places the public costs of recovery alongside those private claims. The court has not determined whether OpenAI or Altman bears legal responsibility for the shooting or for the replacement school and other services sought by the province.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.