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Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has written a letter of apology to the community of Tumbler Ridge for failing to alert RCMP about the account of the Tumbler Ridge shooter.
The company shared the letter with the local news website Tumbler RidgeLines, which published it in full. Its authenticity was confirmed by a spokesperson for OpenAI.
“I have been thinking of you often over the past few months,” reads the letter signed by Altman and dated April 23.
“I cannot imagine anything worse in the world than losing a child. My heart remains with the victims, their families, all members of the community, and the province of British Columbia.”
The company behind ChatGPT has faced criticism after it was revealed by the Wall Street Journal that the account of the 18-year-old shooter — who police say killed eight people, including six children, in Tumbler Ridge on Feb. 10 — wasn’t reported to police despite posts about gun violence.
Altman committed to authoring an apology after meeting with B.C. Premier David Eby and Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka at the beginning of March, but said he wanted to take some time before doing so in order to give the community the opportunity to “grieve in their own time.”
He also acknowledged that his company should have alerted law enforcement about the account of the shooter, which was flagged for problematic activity in advance of the tragedy but was not escalated to alerting authorities in Canada.
“I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement … While I know words can never be enough, I believe an apology is necessary to recognize the harm and irreversible loss your community has suffered.”
Altman’s company is being sued by one Tumbler Ridge family, who alleges the company “had specific knowledge of the shooter’s long-range planning of a mass casualty event,” but “took no steps to act upon this knowledge.”
Apology ‘necessary’ but ‘grossly insufficient’: Eby
Eby also shared the letter on social media, writing “the apology is necessary, and yet grossly insufficient for the devastation done to the families of Tumbler Ridge.”
A statement from the District of Tumbler Ridge released Friday afternoon acknowledged that Altman’s letter “may evoke a range of emotions, and we encourage everyone to take the time and space they need.”
“We are committed to supporting those impacted and ensuring that care, respect, and accountability remain at the forefront as we move forward,” said Krakowka in the statement.
Earlier this week, Krakowka was in Victoria to meet with provincial officials to ensure residents in his community have the resources needed to continue to heal.
The mayor of Tumbler Ridge is in Victoria this week speaking with the premier and other provincial officials more than two months after the mass shooting that killed eight people.
“I support my community. I fight for my community, whether that’s with government or other agencies,” he said at the time.
He also said the provincial government has been supportive of Tumbler Ridge, with resources that include mental health professionals who have been helping residents in the small northeastern B.C. community cope with the shock and grief.
Police continue to investigate the shooting and Eby said this week they have entered the final stages of that process.
Friday’s statement from the district also emphasized the importance of a coroner’s inquest.
“We recognize there are many questions, and those will be important to examine through this process.”
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