Soldier in Las Vegas’ Tesla blast used AI
The highly decorated soldier who exploded a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas used generative AI including ChatGPT to help plan the attack, Las Vegas police said Tuesday.
Nearly a week after 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger fatally shot himself, officials said according to writings, he didn’t intend to kill anyone else.
An investigation of Livelsberger’s searches through ChatGPT indicate 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.
‘Game-changer’
Kevin McMahill, sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, called the use of generative AI a “game-changer” and said 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 utilized to help an individual build a particular device,” he said. “It’s a concerning moment.”
Launched in 2022, ChatGPT is part of a broader set of technologies developed by the San Francisco-based startup OpenAI.
Unlike previous iterations of so-called “large language models,” the ChatGPT tool is available for free to anyone with an internet connection and designed to be more user-friendly.
32 kg of birdshot
During a news conference, Las Vegas police and federal law enforcement officials disclosed that Livelsberger stopped during the drive to Las Vegas to pour racing-grade fuel into the Cybertruck, which then dripped the substance.
The vehicle was loaded with 27 kilograms of pyrotechnic material as well as 32 kilograms of birdshot but officials are still uncertain exactly what detonated the explosion.
