The head of OpenAI has written a letter apologising that his company didn’t alert law enforcement about the online behaviour of a person who shot and killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.
Sam Altman wrote in his letter published on Friday that he deeply sympathised with “the entire community.
Altman was apologetic about the account that was suspended in June, saying, “I’m so sorry that we didn’t notify law enforcement about the account that was banned in June.” I don’t know of any greater way to express remorse than with an apology, one that acknowledges the hurt and irreparable damage your community has endured.
The letter was posted on British Columbia Premier David Eby’s social media on Thursday and also on Friday on the local news website Tumbler RidgeLines.
An 18-year-old man, who is believed to be Jesse Van Rootselaar, shot and killed his mother, Jennifer Jacobs, 39, and stepbrother, Emmett Jacobs, 11, in their home in the north of British Columbia, and then made his way to nearby Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where he opened fire and killed five students and an educator before killing himself, police said on 10 February.
There were also 25 who were injured in the attack.
OpenAI later admitted it had discovered the account on the company’s “abuse detection” protocol last June to move forward with “furtherance of violent activities”.
The San Francisco technology company initially thought about referring the account to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but at the time decided the account activity was not at a level requiring a referral to law enforcement. The account was banned by OpenAI for violating their usage policy in June.
But at the moment, Eby said it “looks like” OpenAI had the chance to stop the mass shooting.
In his letter, Altman said he had spoken with Tumbler Ridge’s mayor, Darryl Krakowka, and Eby, and they “conveyed the anger, sadness and concern” felt in the community. A public apology was agreed, and time was afforded to give the community a chance to mourn.
Altman said he wanted to convey his condolences to the entire community. “No one should ever have to endure a tragedy like this. I know nothing that is worse than losing your child in this world.
“My sympathies go to the victims.”
Altman reaffirmed to him that he would do everything to stop such tragedies.
“Going forward, the attention will remain on all levels of government to help ensure that something like this does not occur again,” he said.
“This apology is necessary, and yet grossly insufficient for the devastation done to the families of Tumbler Ridge,” Eby said in a social media post.
