The soldier who authorities believe blew up a Cybertruck in front of the entrance to the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day used artificial intelligence to guide him on how to set off the explosion, authorities said Tuesday.
Matthew Alan Lyblesberger, 37, is trying to figure out how to assemble explosives and how fast they need to be fired in order for the truckload of explosives to not only ignite but also explode. , and asked ChatGPT about what kind of legislation would be needed. Law enforcement officials said they had to travel to obtain the materials.
Clark County/Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said, “We know that at some point, AI is going to change things for all of us, really everything in life.” “I believe this is the first incident in the United States that I am aware of where ChatGPT has been utilized to help individuals build a specific device.”
Las Vegas police last week identified Libersberger as a suspect in the explosion. The Clark County coroner determined the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, police said.
Authorities said they were able to identify his badly burned body through a variety of methods, including family DNA and tattoos.
On Tuesday, law enforcement officials released video of Libersberger pulling a can of purported racing fuel from the back of the Cybertruck and spraying the vehicle into the area containing the explosives.
Kenny Cooper, assistant special agent in charge of the San Francisco field division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said Libersberger’s spontaneous gunfire ignited a firework or other explosive, resulting in a “fuel-air explosion.” ” may have caused this. vehicle.
He said investigators have not yet encountered any purchase records or physical evidence from the scene showing Libersberger used any type of remote-controlled detonation or sophisticated timed activation system. .
A spokesperson for OpenAI, which owns ChatGPT, said in a statement that it was “saddened” to learn that its technology was used to plan the attack.
“We regret this incident and are committed to ensuring that AI tools are used responsibly,” a spokesperson said. “Our model is designed to reject harmful instructions and minimize harmful content. In this case, ChatGPT responds with information already publicly available on the Internet and or provided a warning of illegal activity.”
The spokesperson added that the company is assisting law enforcement with the investigation.
The use of ChatGPT and other AI platforms is a rapidly growing concern among law enforcement officials, who fear that attackers could use the technology as a how-to guide.
Law enforcement’s challenges with AI were highlighted in an exclusive NBC News report that aired on “Hallie Jackson Now” late last year.
“AI takes an existing problem and magnifies it. It creates problems at scale and at cost,” Rebecca Weiner, New York City Police Department’s deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, told NBC News. “Technology has made it easier to do what we should be concerned about.”
Asked Tuesday whether law enforcement should have been aware of Livelsberger’s questions about ChatGPT, McMahill said whether the ability to track how someone uses artificial intelligence still exists. He said he did not know.
Law enforcement officials in Las Vegas and New York told NBC News that AI services are still working together to alert when someone starts asking what they need to carry out an attack or make explosives. He said he hasn’t gotten it.
Last week, authorities admitted that Libersberger criticized the U.S. government using an app on one of the two cellphones in the Cybertruck and intentionally blew up the vehicle. It was revealed that it seems so.
Authorities say two texts written on a phone app suggest a possible motive. In one article, he urged “our fellow service members, veterans, and all Americans” to “wake up” because our country’s leadership is “weak” and “serves only to enrich us.” He said the time had come.
The second letter seems to further reveal Riversberger’s spirituality. In it, he said the explosion was “not a terrorist attack” and that Americans were only concerned about “the spectacle and the violence.”
Officials announced Tuesday that an additional six-page “manifesto” was found on his cell phone.
Officials said Libersberger made a number of complaints in the document, including issues with the “current administration.” He also wrote that vivid encounters from his time in the military played on loop in his head and that he had no purpose in life, officials said.
Law enforcement officials said Libersberger was on military-approved leave when he rented a Tesla Cybertruck and drove from Colorado to Las Vegas. After he parked his truck just outside the entrance to the Trump Hotel, fireworks and gasoline in the bed of the truck ignited.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or live chat at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
