British Columbia Premier David Eby said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has agreed to apologize to the people of Tumbler Ridge after the mass shooting by a user of the firm's technology, whose worrisome online behaviour wasn't flagged to police by the company.
"Everybody on the call recognized that an apology is nowhere near sufficient, but also that is completely necessary," Eby said of his conversation with Altman on Thursday.
OpenAI will also work with the province to come up with recommendations for federal regulatory standards on artificial intelligence and reporting of problematic interactions with its users, Eby said.
The premier said after the virtual meeting with Altman that OpenAI will work on the apology with the mayor of Tumbler Ridge where eight victims were shot dead on Feb. 10 by Jesse Van Rootselaar.
She was banned by OpenAI last June over violations of its policies on the use of its ChatGPT chatbot, but the company only told police after her name became public after the shooting.
Eby said he doesn't believe OpenAI's current reporting standards are sufficient.
"So, it's not acceptable that there are inconsistent standards between companies," Eby said. "It's not acceptable that it's up to the companies about whether or not to report, and that needs to change. We will be pushing hard with the federal government for that to change."
Federal Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon met with Altman on Wednesday and said the tragedy "demands answers and stronger safeguards when powerful AI technologies are involved."
A statement from Solomon said Altman promised to implement safety protocols that direct people "experiencing distress" to appropriate local services and that the company would apply its new safety standards retroactively to review previously flagged cases.
British Columbia's Chief Coroner Dr. Jatinder Baidwan announced this week that an inquest into the shootings will consider the role of artificial intelligence.
OpenAI has admitted that Van Rootselaar, who killed herself at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, got around her ban by having a second account.
Eby said that he found the tech-billionaire "responsive" to the concerns that came up during the meeting.
"I also made a commitment to him, that I would not speak on his behalf about his feelings, and what he would like to communicate to the community."
Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka, who has been the voice of the community since the mass shooting, will work with the company to ensure any public statements are done in a way that "doesn't retraumatize the people in the community," Eby said.
Krakowka also took part in the virtual call on Thursday.
"So we are going to do that work together, and we are going to help facilitate that."
The mayor did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Eby said that Krakowka was "characteristically blunt."
"You don't have to guess what he is thinking, and he shared the raw emotion and his experience as mayor, every morning talking to families, who wake up and their kids aren't there, and it was quite a moving and significant part of our conversation," the premier said.
Eby said he told Altman that his government remains concerned about other issues.
"We also have serious questions about the guns (used by the shooter)," he said.
Eby acknowledged that serious questions about British Columbia's own mental health system remain.
Conservative MLA Larry Neufeld, who represents the community and watched Eby's media availability after the call, said the government is not focusing on the "root cause" of the issue.
"I believe very clearly that the complete and utter failure of the mental health system in this province has allowed two mass casualty events to happen in this province in 12 months," Neufeld said, pointing to the Lapu-Lapu Day Festival attack where 11 people were killed last April.
Neufeld said AI is an important element of the Tumbler Ridge shooting that needs to be examined.
"In fairness, on my part, I'm seeing a narrative in my mind, where the focus is being moved away from the mental health component, and that concerns me."
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
