Nearly a week after the Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel, the Las Vegas police said that Matthew Livelsberger used generative AI, including ChatGPT to plan the attack.
A review of Livelsberger's searches through ChatGPT indicates that he was looking for information on explosive targets, the speed at which certain rounds of ammunition would travel and whether fireworks were legal in Arizona.
Last week, officials said that Livelsberger left notes saying the explosion was a stunt meant to be a "wake-up call" for the nation's troubles.
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“Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives,” the soldier wrote.
“We are the United States of America, the best country people to ever exist! But right now we are terminally ill and headed toward collapse,” the note further read.
'Concerning moment'
Kevin McMahill, sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, said the use of generative AI was a "game-changer", adding that the department was sharing information with other law enforcement agencies.
“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. “It’s a concerning moment.”
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Moreover, he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and had written a 'manifesto' detailing a conspiracy theory regarding Chinese drones, the US investigators said.
Livelsberger, a US Army Special Forces soldier, carried out the explosion outside the Trump International Hotel on January 1.
The explosion caused minor injuries to seven people.
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The law enforcement officials said Livelsberger harboured no ill will towards US President-elect Donald Trump as in one of his notes, he said, the country needed to 'rally around' him and Tesla boss Elon Musk.
(With inputs from agencies)