Cybertruck bomber Matthew Livelsberger used ChatGPT to gather information on how to carry out his scheme, according to police.
Livelsberger, a former Green Beret and active US Army Ranger, 37, shot himself in the head seconds before an improvised explosive detonated in the back of his rented vehicle on New Year’s Day outside of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.
During a press conference Tuesday, Sheriff Kevin McMahill with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department revealed that Livelsberger used the generative artificial intelligence chatbot to help him ‘build a particular device’ and ‘plan his attack.’
‘Of particular note, we also have clear evidence in this case now that the suspect used ChatGPT artificial intelligence to help plan his attack,’ McMahill said.
‘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 U.S. soil where ChatGPT is utilized to help an individual build a particular device.’
It is unclear exactly what Livelsberger searched and what responses he was given.
Authorities also said new evidence has emerged that Livelsberger had a six-page manifesto on his cell phone, and confirmed that he died by suicide.
Cybertruck bomber Matthew Livelsberger used Chat GPT to gather information on how to carry out his scheme, according to police
Livelsberger, 37, shot himself in the head seconds before an improvised explosive detonated in the back of his rented vehicle on New Year’s Day outside of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas
‘This new information comes with more questions than answers. I will not provide an opinion on what the documents mean, nor will we release information or documents that have not been completely verified,’ the sheriff added.
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In response to the discovery of ChatGPT aiding Livelsberger, OpenAI told NBC News the company is ‘saddened’ that its technology was used to help carry out the attack.
‘We are saddened by this incident and committed to seeing AI tools used responsibly,’ the spokesperson said.
‘Our models are designed to refuse harmful instructions and minimize harmful content.
‘In this case, ChatGPT responded with information already publicly available on the internet and provided warnings against harmful or illegal activities,’ they continued, adding that the company is cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation.
DailyMail.com contacted OpenAI for comment.
The new manifesto pages come just days after two other notes recorded on his phone made clear that his motive was not terrorism or violence.
He sent the suicide email or manifesto to retired US Army intelligence officer Sam Shoemate shortly before the bombing, which injured seven bystanders.
During a press conference Tuesday, Sheriff Kevin McMahill with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department revealed that Livelsberger used the AI chatbot to help him ‘build a particular device’ and ‘plan his attack’
Authorities also said new evidence has emerged that Livelsberger had a six-page manifesto on his cell phone, and confirmed that he died by suicide
The email claimed the mysterious drones seen flying over New Jersey and sometimes other parts of the east coast were Chinese weapons.
Livelsberger warned they could be well armed, attack anywhere, and were the ‘most dangerous threat to national security that has ever existed.’
Investigators probed if the bombing was connected to the terrorist attack in New Orleans, or if it was motivated by Livelsberger’s personal issues.
The FBI said in a press conference on Friday afternoon that he acted alone and his behavior was fueled by PTSD and various personal grievances.
‘Although this incident is more public and more sensational than usual, it ultimately appears to be a tragic case of suicide, involving a heavily decorated combat veteran who is struggling with PTSD and other issues,’ Spencer Evans, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas division, said.
Las Vegas police also shared excerpts from two other writings, recorded in the notes app on his phone, that indicated the bombing was to get attention for his concerns.
‘We (the US) are terminally ill and headed towards collapse. This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wakeup call,’ the letter read.
‘Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence – what better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives.
The contents of the Cybertruck’s tray, where the bomb was stored and detonated
‘Why did I personally do it now? I need to cleanse my mind, the brothers I’ve lost, and relieve myself of the burden of the lives that I took.’
Las Vegas Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said another letter listed ‘a variety of other grievances and issues, some political, some personal, a variety of other things which we will do our best to release very quickly.’
Part of it told veterans and Americans it was ‘time to wake up, we are being led by weak and feckless leadership who only serve to enrich themselves.’
Alicia Arritt, Livelsberger’s ex-girlfriend later revealed that he had been experiencing paranoia and nightmares years prior to his death.
Arrit, who met the veteran on a dating app after he separated from his first wife, said he was displaying signs of PTSD from as early as 2018, when they started dating.
After dating for three years before he remarried, the two lost contact after they separated, but perhaps in a telling sign, Livelsberger reached out to Arritt in the days before his death to show off the rented Tesla Cybertruck.
Now, Arritt has spoken out about Livelsberger’s mental health concerns in an effort to shed light on his state of mind.
Alicia Arritt, Livelsberger’s ex-girlfriend later revealed that he had been experiencing paranoia and nightmares years prior to his death
‘He described all the same symptoms as a textbook,’ she told 11 News, revealing she’d seen PTSD in veterans in her role as an Army nurse.
‘In 2020, he was having paranoia and nightmares. He was exhausted and depressed. He was gaining weight and he couldn’t think.’
There are avenues to get help within the military, but Arritt said there is still a lot of stigma attached with mental health conditions, particularly in the high-level unit Livelsberger was a part of.
‘If he got flagged for having depression or having a TBI, he would’ve been made non-deployable and he absolutely did not want that. He wanted to be there for his guys,’ Arritt said.
‘The VA has gotten so much better about caring for these veterans, but active duty, they don’t treat them. They just keep them in the war until they’re used up and then the VA takes care of them after they’re out.’
Police allege Livelsberger, who was on an approved break from the military, hired the truck in Colorado and drove it across the border to Nevada on New Year’s Day.
Within an hour of arriving in Las Vegas, he had detonated the truck full of makeshift explosives he had in the bed.
Livelsberger claimed China is stalking the US with advanced drones in an unhinged suicide note
Livelsberger was the only casualty of the incident, and police largely credit the hulking stainless steel Tesla truck for saving lives by containing the explosion.
An Army spokesperson said soldiers have resources at their disposal to seek help.
‘The U.S. Special Operations Command established the Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) program which provides holistic care in physical, cognitive, medical, and support resources as appropriate to each individual,’ the spokesperson said.
‘We encourage our Soldiers, if they need help, mental health treatment or need to speak with someone, to seek proactive behavioral health treatment either on base or online.
Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger had access to and used the POTFF program; he did not display any concerning behaviors at the time, and was granted personal leave. All relevant records were provided to the FBI as the lead investigative agency.’