“This is the first incident that I am aware of on US soil where ChatGPT is utilised to help an individual build a particular device,” Sheriff Kevin McMahill stated.
According to officials, the alleged driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that detonated outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day planned the explosion using the well-known AI chatbot ChatGPT.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Sheriff Kevin McMahill disclosed that the soldier, who was identified as Colorado resident Matthew Livelsberger, 37, used the generative artificial intelligence chatbot to obtain information for his scheme.
According to Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren, the suspect utilized ChatGPT to find out where to buy fireworks and how much explosives would be needed for the operation. Additionally, he investigated whether the explosives could be ignited by the velocity of a firearm bullet, their equivalency to other materials, and their explosive potential.
“We knew that AI was going to change the game at some point or another in, really, all of our lives,” McMahill said in response to a question about whether Livelsberger’s usage of ChatGPT was alarming.This, in my opinion, is the first instance in the United States where ChatGPT has been used to assist a person with building a specific gadget and learning information nationwide as they proceed.”
“It’s a concerning moment for us but also instructive…to share with law enforcement and other entities across the country,” he said.
The precise findings that the ChatGPT tool produced on explosives and firearms were not made public by officials.
Plans’ development
A six-page document, referred to as a “manifesto,” was also discovered by authorities when they examined Livelsberger’s phone using digital forensics.
“He had a variety of complaints, and his plans or intentions for what he wanted to do were often changing. Regarding the purported manifesto, Koren stated, “There are references to political, social, and cultural issues, including criticism of the current administration.”
“There are more questions than answers with this new knowledge. We won’t reveal material or papers that haven’t been fully confirmed by our joint investigators, and I won’t offer a view on what the records represent,” McMahill stated.
Authorities say Livelsberger, who was on leave from his base in Germany, shot himself to death just before the explosion, which left seven other people injured.
Local investigators are looking into the incident with the help of the FBI and ATF.
