The head of OpenAI says he is deeply sorry that his company didn’t alert law enforcement to worrisome online behaviour of the suspect in the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., earlier this year.

In a letter shared on B.C. Premier David Eby’s social media, Sam Altman says that while he knows words can never be enough, he believes “an apology is necessary to recognize the harm and irreplaceable loss the community has suffered.”

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Altman says he spoke with Eby and Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka and “agreed a public apology was necessary,” but that a respectful amount of time was needed.

The premier promised an apology was coming after a virtual meeting with Altman in March.

OpenAI came forward after the shooting on Feb. 10 to say that 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar’s worrisome behaviour using its ChatGPT chatbot was flagged by staff at the company, but didn’t go to police with those concerns.

The company has admitted that Van Rootselaar, who killed herself at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, got around her ban by having a second account.

Federal Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon also met with Altman and said the tragedy “demands answers and stronger safeguards when powerful AI technologies are involved.”

An earlier statement from Solomon said Altman promised to implement safety protocols that direct people “experiencing distress” to appropriate local services and that the company would apply its new safety standards retroactively to review previously flagged cases.

In his apology letter, he reaffirmed his commitment to “find ways to prevent tragedies like this in the future.”

“Going forward, our focus will continue to be on working with all levels of government to help ensure something like this never happens again,” said Altman.

Eby says the letter to the community is necessary, and yet grossly insufficient for the devastation done to the families of Tumbler Ridge.

Earlier this week, Eby said the police investigation into the mass shooting was in its “final stages.”

B.C.’s Chief Coroner Dr. Jatinder Baidwan, announced last month that an inquest into the shootings will consider the role of artificial intelligence.

1130 NewsRadio has reached out to the premier’s office for more information.