OpenAI outlines steps to boost safety measures in response to Canada school shooting

TORONTO, Feb 26 (Reuters) – OpenAI said on Thursday that it will set up a direct point of contact with Canadian law enforcement and improve detection of repeat policy violators, among steps to boost its safety protocols in the wake of a recent school shooting in Canada.

The ChatGPT maker detailed the steps in a letter to Canada’s minister in charge of artificial intelligence, Evan Solomon. 

Ann O’Leary, OpenAI’s vice president of global policy, wrote the letter after Canadian ministers this week urged the ChatGPT maker to boost its safety protocols quickly and warned Ottawa would effect change through legislation if the company did not.

“We remain committed to cooperating with law enforcement authorities on the investigation into the Tumbler Ridge tragedy, and we are committed to an ongoing partnership with federal and provincial governments,” O’Leary said, referring to the town in British Columbia where the shooting occurred.

Ottawa summoned OpenAI’s safety team for talks this week after the company said it had not contacted police about an account that it banned belonging to the alleged shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar.

Van Rootselaar, 18, is suspected of killing eight people on February 10 before taking her own life in Tumbler Ridge. OpenAI said it banned her ChatGPT account last year for policy violations, which it did not specify. It said the issues did not meet its internal criteria for reporting to law enforcement.

Police said Van Rootselaar had a history of mental health problems. 

(Reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones, Bhargav Acharya and Ismail Shakil; Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Cynthia Osterman)