Reuters reported that on January 7, US police announced that the Cybertruck explosion in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on January 1 was related to ChatGPT.
According to the police investigation, the suspect used ChatGPT to learn about the amount of explosives needed to detonate the explosion. This is the first incident in the United States where ChatGPT has been used to assist in the construction of an explosive device, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said.
Speaking at a press conference on January 7, Police Chief Kevin McMahill confirmed that there was sufficient evidence to show that the suspect used ChatGPT in this incident.
Many opponents of artificial intelligence (AI) in the US have warned of the risk of abusing the technology for malicious purposes, and the January 1 explosion could increase this wave of criticism.
Meanwhile, OpenAI - the company that developed ChatGPT - has stated that its AI models are designed to reject harmful instructions, and is committed to ensuring that AI tools are used responsibly.
Regarding the Las Vegas explosion, OpenAI explained: “In this case, ChatGPT provided information that was already available on the internet and included warnings about harmful or illegal activity.”
At approximately 8:40 a.m. on January 1, 2025 (local time), a car exploded right in front of the Trump International Hotel.
According to investigators, the explosives found in the car included fireworks, gas cylinders and camping fuel, all connected to a driver-controlled detonation system.
The explosion killed one person and injured seven others. The driver was the one who was in the car and was the one who triggered the explosion. The FBI said the incident appeared to be a suicide.
Although the specific cause has not been clarified, police identified the person in the car as Matthew Livelsberger (male), 37 years old.
