The CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, has formally apologized to the community of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia, Canada, following a devastating mass shooting that occurred in February.
He acknowledged that the company failed to notify law enforcement about troubling online interactions between the shooter and its AI chatbot, even after internal staff had raised concerns about the account.
“I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement to the account that was banned in June,” Altman wrote in a letter dated April 23 and addressed to the community of Tumbler Ridge.
“While I know words can never be enough, I believe an apology is necessary to recognize the harm and irreversible loss your community has suffered.”
The letter was later shared on X on Friday by British Columbia Premier David Eby, who also commented on the situation.
“OpenAI CEO Sam Altman issued an apology letter to the people of Tumbler Ridge. The apology is necessary, and yet grossly insufficient for the devastation done to the families of Tumbler Ridge,” wrote Eby.
According to reports, OpenAI came under scrutiny after admitting that the account belonging to the 18-year-old shooter was not reported to police, despite staff identifying links to violent content during internal reviews.
Authorities in British Columbia said the attacker killed eight people, including six children at a local school, in the February incident.
In his letter, Altman said he had been in contact with officials in Tumbler Ridge over the past months, adding that the community’s suffering was “unimaginable.”
“I want to express my deepest condolences to the entire community. No one should ever have to endure a tragedy like this. I cannot imagine anything worse in this world than losing a child. My heart remains with the victims, their families, all the members of the community, and the province of British Columbia,” Altman writes.
He further stated that OpenAI is committed to strengthening safeguards and improving its systems to help prevent similar tragedies in the future.
When contacted for comment, OpenAI referred to its earlier letter addressed to Canada’s minister responsible for artificial intelligence in relation to the Tumbler Ridge shooting.
