Matthew Livelsberger, the American veteran who killed himself in the Tesla Cybertruck which exploded on Wednesday January 1 in front of the Trump hotel in Las Vegas used generative artificial intelligence (AI), including ChatGPT, to prepare the destruction of his vehicle, reports the American news agency AP. Las Vegas police say veteran found dead of gunshot to head interrogated AI robot to learn about explosive devices, travel speed of certain munitions and legality of fireworks in Arizona.
“This is the first incident that I am aware of on US soil where ChatGPT is being used to help an individual build a particular device,” said Kevin McMahillsheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, calling this use of AI a “game changer”.
In a press release cited by AP, ChatGPT’s parent company, OpenAI, assures that it is committed to ensuring that its tools are used “responsibly” and that they are designed to refuse dangerous instructions. “In this case, ChatGPT responded with information already publicly available on the Internet and provided warnings against harmful or illegal activities,” OpenAI said, promising to “work with law enforcement.”
27 kg of pyrotechnic material
Matthew Livelsberger, a member of the US Army Special Forces, shot himself in the head in Las Vegas, aboard a Cybertruck which he blew up with cans of gasoline and fireworks , after renting the vehicle online. The explosion also caused seven minor injuries.
The vehicle was loaded with 27 kg of pyrotechnic material and 32 kg of shot, but investigators still do not know exactly what triggered the explosion. They said Tuesday it could be the spark from the gun Matthew Livelsberger used to shoot himself in the head.
This act, which occurred just hours after a car-ramming attack which killed 14 people in New Orleans, carried out by a former soldier inspired by the Islamic State (IS) group, raises multiple questions about the motivations of the suspicious.
“No animosity towards the president”
Friday, January 3, investigators indicated that the Afghanistan veteran suffered from “post-traumatic stress” and that he died in a “tragic case of suicide.” According to them, Matthew Livelsberger “had no animosity towards the president” newly elected. On the contrary, he called on Americans to “rally around” Donald Trump and Elon Musk, boss of Tesla, in a note found by investigators.
In these notes, the suspect also explains having organized the explosion because “Americans only pay attention to shows and violence”. To explain his action, he cites trauma suffered during his military career. “I needed to clear my mind of the brothers I lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took,” he wrote.
