The Tesla Cybertruck which exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on January 1 by a highly decorated soldier was planned through generative AI, including ChatGPT, police said on Tuesday.
Matthew Livelsberger, 37, who carried out the blast reportedly had no intention of killing anyone else and shot himself in the head just before the explosion, the police said quoting his writings.
Police conducted searches of Livelsberger’s ChatGPT and said that he was searching for information on explosive targets, the speed at which certain rounds of ammunition would travel and the legal status of fireworks in Arizona.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s sheriff Kevin McMahill said that the use of generative AI is a “game changer” and added that the department was sharing its information with other enforcement agencies.
McMahill said, “This is the first incident that I’m aware of on US soil where ChatGPT is utilized to help an individual build a particular device. It is a concerning moment,” Associated Press reported.
ChatGPT’s owner OpenAI, in a statement said that it was committed towards its tools being used “responsibly” and that the artificial intelligence is designed to refuse instructions which are harmful in nature.
OpenAI said, “In this case, ChatGPT responded with information already publicly available on the internet and provided warnings against harmful or illegal activities. We’re working with law enforcement to support their investigation,” AP reported.
Seven people suffered minor injuries in the explosion of the Cybertruck but it virtually caused no damage to the Trump hotel.
Sheriff McMahill said that Livelsberger planned a more devastating attack with heavier damage but the Tesla’s cybertruck, which has steel sides, absorbed much of the force from the crudely built explosive.
