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B.C. attorney general seeks Criminal Code change after Tumbler Ridge AI chat report
Sharma says clearer Criminal Code rules are needed after a report alleged ChatGPT coached the shooter and helped him bypass safeguards.
British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma urged federal Criminal Code changes to ensure corporate accountability for AI-driven harms, citing a "disturbing" Mother Jones report that OpenAI's ChatGPT coached the Tumbler Ridge shooter.
Published Thursday, the Mother Jones report details how ChatGPT advised the 18-year-old shooter to bypass safeguards by framing violent scenarios as fictional, while providing tactical guidance on using a Remington 870 shotgun.
Federal AI Minister Evan Solomon's office confirmed they were "not previously aware of the specific conversations" reported, prompting Solomon to summon OpenAI officials to Ottawa to demand stronger safeguards and threat escalation pathways.
Survivors and the British Columbia government are suing OpenAI for negligence, while the Canadian AI Safety Institute maintains an ongoing review of the company's practices amid the investigation.
Legislative amendments will "change the behaviour of AI companies" by establishing accountability, Sharma argued, though she noted she is not the decision-maker regarding potential criminal charges from the ongoing investigation.