In a chilling start to the new year, Las Vegas witnessed a harrowing incident that exposed artificial intelligence (AI) to the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The attack sparked nationwide debates on the ethical boundaries of AI usage after a suspect leveraged an AI tool to plan the assault meticulously.
During the latest press release over Tesla’s Cybertruck explosion, the Las Vegas Metro Police Department revealed the driver used a widely known generative AI tool, ChatGPT to execute the attack outside the Trump International Hotel. The attack left one person dead and seven others injured.
ChatGPT Aided Attack Outside Trump International Hotel?
In a press conference, The LVMPD confirmed that the explosion occurred when a Cybertruck equipped with gasoline canisters, camp fuel, and firework mortars, detonated in front of the hotel. According to Sheriff Kevin McMahill, the driver, identified as 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger, executed the incident with a disturbing level of precision.
Livelsberger, an active-duty soldier in the U.S. Army, had no prior criminal record, making the attack even more perplexing. Investigator found out a possible manifesto on his phone, alongside emails to a podcaster and documents revealing his intentions. His actions suggest a calculated descent into extremism, planned over months.
The incident took a darker turn when it was revealed that Livelsberger has used ChatGPT to gather information. According to law enforcement, he asked the AI tool for guidance on assembling explosives, calculating detonation speeds, and indetifying legal loopholes to acquire hazardous materials.
The AI’s responses reportedly included publicly available data but also highlighted the limitations of current safeguards in preventing malicious use. Sheriff McMahill raised concerns over the evolving role of AI in criminal activites.
“We know AI was going to change the game for all of us at some point or another, in really all of our lives. I think this is the first incident that I’m aware of on US soil where ChatGPT is utilised to help an individual build a particular device,” he said.
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