Las Vegas police said Tuesday, Jan. 7, that the attacker who exploded a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel used the generative artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT to plan the attack. An investigation into 37-year-old former soldier Matthew Livelsberger found his ChatGPT search history included questions about firearms and explosives.
Authorities said Livelsberger looked for information on explosive targets, ammunition speed and whether fireworks were legal in Arizona. They say this was when he reportedly considered an attack on the skywalk at the Grand Canyon.
The Las Vegas sheriff said it was the first incident he is aware of in the U.S. where an attacker used ChatGPT to help build a device.
ChatGPT owner OpenAI told the Associated Press, “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.”
The investigation also turned up notes detailing Livelsberger’s motivation. They included that he felt a burden taking lives as a service member. He warned the U.S. was collapsing and urged Americans to rally around President-elect Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
