The parents of a girl critically wounded in a school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, have filed a civil lawsuit against OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. The lawsuit, filed in the British Columbia Supreme Court, alleges that OpenAI possessed specific knowledge of the shooter's plans for a mass casualty event using its AI chatbot.

OpenAI had previously stated that it considered, but ultimately did not alert police about, the activities of the individual who, months later, committed one of Canada’s worst school shootings on February 10. The company later approached police after the shooter, Jesse Van Roostselaar, killed eight people and then herself, revealing that the attacker's primary ChatGPT account had been closed, but she circumvented the ban by utilizing a second account.

The legal claim contends that ChatGPT was used by the shooter as a trusted confidante, collaborator, and ally, and that the chatbot willingly assisted users like the shooter in planning a mass casualty event. The lawsuit highlights the severe consequences of the company's alleged negligence, detailing that the victim, Maya Gebala, was shot three times at close range. She sustained one bullet wound to her head, another to her neck, and a third grazed her cheek.

As a result of these injuries, Maya Gebala now suffers from a catastrophic brain injury that is expected to leave her with permanent cognitive and physical disabilities. A spokeswoman for OpenAI has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit.