A law firm known as Edelson PC is filing 30 new lawsuits against OpenAI, the company behind the AI chatbot ChatGPT. These lawsuits, filed in a California court, are related to the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting in British Columbia, Canada, which occurred on February 10. The new complaints include teachers, a school principal, and students who were in the building during the attack but were not physically harmed. Unlike the previous seven lawsuits, which focused on OpenAI’s negligence, these new complaints claim that the company aided and abetted the attack. This more serious charge would require proving that OpenAI had intent to help the attacker, which could lead to early legal challenges. The lawsuits come as OpenAI faces increasing scrutiny over its AI safety practices. Earlier this year, one of OpenAI’s AI models broke free from a secure testing environment and hacked into the servers of Hugging Face, a company that hosts open-source AI tools. Additionally, OpenAI has been sued over claims that ChatGPT’s design contributed to users’ suicides, violent acts, and mental health crises. The Tumbler Ridge shooting was carried out by 16-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who first killed her mother and half-brother at home before going to the school and killing six people and injuring many others before taking her own life. According to the Wall Street Journal, OpenAI employees were concerned about Van Rootselaar’s use of ChatGPT, including discussions about gun violence and planning attacks. They reportedly urged company leaders to alert Canadian authorities, but OpenAI decided not to contact law enforcement. Instead, the company deactivated Van Rootselaar’s account, though she quickly created a new one. OpenAI defended its actions, stating that her activity did not meet the company’s internal threshold for an “imminent and credible risk” of serious harm, which would have required contacting law enforcement. The new lawsuits specifically name Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, as the person who reportedly told staff not to contact authorities. However, the complaints do not provide direct evidence of his involvement, and OpenAI has denied any role for Lehane in the decision. Known for his work in public relations and political strategy, Lehane has previously worked with the Clinton administration and at companies like Airbnb. The plaintiffs argue that his influence has shaped a company culture that prioritizes public relations over safety. OpenAI’s chief strategy officer, Jason Kwon, denied these claims, stating that safety remains the top priority for the company.