OpenAI's ban of Canada school shooter's account raises scrutiny of other online activity


FILE PHOTO: Workers install a fence around a makeshift memorial for the victims two days after a deadly mass shooting took place at a school in the town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, February 12, 2026. REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier/File Photo

OTTAWA, Feb 25 (Reuters) - OpenAI's admission ⁠it banned the ChatGPT account of mass shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar months before the 18-year-old killed eight people and herself is drawing more scrutiny to her past online ⁠activity and raising questions about whether opportunities were missed to prevent one of Canada's worst-ever mass killings.

OpenAI’s decision not to report Van Rootselaar to police prompted Canada’s ‌Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon to summon company officials to Ottawa this week to explain their safety protocols.

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