Tumbler Ridge families sue OpenAI for not alerting police to the suspect’s ChatGPT activity | The Verge

AINewsPolicyTumbler Ridge families sue OpenAI for not alerting police to the suspect’s ChatGPT activityOpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, are being accused of negligence and launching GPT-4o with a ‘defective’ design.OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, are being accused of negligence and launching GPT-4o with a ‘defective’ design.by Emma RothApr 29, 2026, 2:47 PM UTCLinkShareGiftPhoto by Paige Taylor White / AFP via Getty ImagesEmma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.Seven families of victims injured or killed in the Tumbler Ridge school shooting in Canada have filed lawsuits against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, accusing the company and its leadership of negligence after they failed to alert police to the suspected shooter’s ChatGPT activity. The families allege OpenAI stayed silent after its systems flagged activity by shooting suspect Jesse Van Rootselaar in order to protect the company’s reputation and upcoming initial public offering (IPO).The Wall Street Journal reports that OpenAI “considered” flagging the 18-year-old’s activity to police, which reportedly involved conversations about gun violence, but ultimately decided against it. The lawsuits accuse OpenAI of lying about its move to “ban” Van Rootselaar, as the company allegedly only deactivated the suspect’s account, who later created a new one under another email:When OpenAI was later forced to disclose th...