The Canadian province of British Columbia has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI over the company's failure to notify authorities about the Tumbler Ridge shooter's conversations with its chatbot. The lawsuit, reported by the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, accuses OpenAI of designing an unsafe product and negligence for not alerting law enforcement about the shooter's chats. It claims the shooting could have been prevented if the company had heeded its human reviewers' advice to notify the Royal Canadian Mounted Police about the shooter's activities on its service.

In February, the Canadian government demanded safety changes from OpenAI after reports revealed it did not alert authorities after employees flagged the shooter's account in 2025, which contained potential warnings of real-world violence. Although the shooter's original account was banned, OpenAI later discovered she had created a second account. The company committed to notifying authorities about credible threats, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman issued an apology for not alerting authorities when the first account was banned.

British Columbia Premier David Eby called Altman's apology 'necessary, and yet grossly insufficient.' The lawsuit alleges OpenAI has not meaningfully engaged with Canada and British Columbia on safety matters after the shooting. Attorney General Niki Sharma stated that no company should be exempt from accountability simply because the technology is new, emphasizing that AI CEOs themselves acknowledge the safety risks of their technologies. The lawsuit was filed in OpenAI's home state of California rather than in Canada, potentially leading to larger payouts for victims' families.

British Columbia also seeks compensation for the construction of a new school in Tumbler Ridge. Additionally, the victims' families have filed a separate complaint against OpenAI, similarly alleging negligence.