AI for ALL?

AI Safety

William Leiss, 25 September 2026: In view of what we learned today about the Tumbler Ridge shooter’s use of ChatGPT, the Government of Canada’s program, “AI for ALL,” is morally offensive and should be scrapped forthwith.

Headline: “B.C. Attorney-General, federal AI Minister alarmed by report ChatGPT coached Tumbler Ridge shooter.” This is the opening paragraph:

B.C.’s Attorney-General Niki Sharma and the federal Artificial Intelligence Minister say they are alarmed by a news report that the Tumbler Ridge shooter’s interactions with ChatGPT show that the chatbot provided tactical advice on how to maximize carnage and counselled her on how to bypass OpenAI’s own safeguards.

Do we think that ChatGPT adheres to the voluntary code of conduct for AI systems in Canada? Perhaps not. It’s voluntary, after all. I searched the list of signatories. OpenAI is not one of them.

Coverage from the CBC/Canadian Press, and Mark Follman at Mother Jones (who broke the story) also available:

Canadian Press. 2026. “B.C. Attorney General Shocked by News Report That ChatGPT Told Tumbler Ridge Shooter How to Avoid Safeguards.” CBC News, September 25. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mother-jones-chatgpt-safeguards-tumbler-ridge-bc-shooter-9.7358031.

Follman, Mark. 2026. “ChatGPT Helped Tumbler Ridge Shooter Focus on Guns, Tactics, and Terror.” Mother Jones, September 24. https://www.motherjones.com/media/2026/09/chatgpt-tumbler-ridge-mass-shooter-openai/.

Hager, Mike, and Joe Costaldo. 2026. “B.C. Attorney-General, Federal AI Minister Alarmed by Report ChatGPT Coached Tumbler Ridge Shooter.” The Globe and Mail, September 24. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-tumbler-ridge-bc-shooter-coached-by-chatgpt/.