How Tesla cybertruck attacker used ChatGPT to plan the explosion outside Trump's hotel

Nearly a week after a chilling New Year’s Day attack outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel, the police have revealed a startling detail about the perpetrator Matthew Livelsberger. They disclosed that the highly decorated army soldier used generative AI tools, including ChatGPT to plan his criminal act.

The 37-year-old member of the elite US special forces had shot himself before the rented Tesla vehicle, packed with fuel containers and fireworks, blew up. The blast had left seven people with minor injuries.

Investigators uncovered that Livelsberger did not intend to harm others, however, his reliance on AI tools for gathering information to execute the attack marks a troubling precedent.

How exactly did he utilise ChatGPT for planning? And how has OpenAI responded to the incident? Here’s what we know so far.

Use of AI is a ‘game-changer’

Authorities disclosed that the attacker employed ChatGPT to gather information pertinent to the execution of his plan.

Investigators revealed that Livelsberger queried the AI for information about how he could assemble an explosive, how fast a round would need to be fired for the explosives found in the truck to explode and what laws in Arizona he would need to get around to obtain the necessary materials.

In a press conference, Kevin McMahill, sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, described the use of generative AI in the attack as a “game-changer”.

“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."

The use and growing accessibility of ChatGPT and other AI platforms has become a rising concern for law enforcement officers, who fear that such technology could serve as a how-to guide for attackers.

“AI takes existing problems and magnifies them. It makes them at scale and at cost,” said Rebecca Weiner, New York City’s deputy police commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, in an NBC News report. “The technology makes it easier to do the concerning stuff,” she explained.

Open AI responds

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, responded to the incident in a statement, expressing its dismay that its technology was used in planning the attack.

“We are saddened by this incident and committed to seeing AI tools used responsibly,” a spokesperson for OpenAI said.

The spokesperson further explained, “Our models are designed to refuse harmful instructions and minimise harmful content. In this case, ChatGPT responded with information already publicly available on the internet and provided warnings against harmful or illegal activities.”

OpenAI also confirmed its cooperation with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation.

Stopped before attack to fill racing fuel

Las Vegas police and federal law enforcement officials revealed that during his drive to Las Vegas, Livelsberger stopped at a gas station to pour racing-grade fuel into his Cybertruck, which later leaked.

The truck, packed with 60 pounds (27 kg) of pyrotechnic materials and 70 pounds (31 kg) of birdshot, exploded after a flash—likely triggered by the firearm Livelsberger used to fatally shoot himself—ignited the fuel vapour.

Seven individuals were injured in the blast, but the entrance to the Trump hotel sustained almost no damage.

Kenny Cooper, assistant special agent in charge of the San Francisco Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told NBC News that investigators found no evidence suggesting Livelsberger used a remote-controlled detonation or a sophisticated timed-initiation system.

Among the charred items discovered inside the vehicle were a handgun at Livelsberger’s feet, another firearm, fireworks, a passport, a military ID, credit cards, an iPhone, and a smartwatch. Authorities confirmed that both guns had been purchased legally.

Also read: FBI probes link between New Orleans attack and Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas

‘Wake up call’

Earlier, authorities uncovered a troubling app on one of two phones found inside the Cybertruck, where Livelsberger expressed harsh criticism of the US government and seemed to admit that he intentionally caused the explosion.

In one of the two letters, he addressed “fellow service members, veterans and all Americans,” urging them to “wake up” because the country’s leadership is “weak” and “only serves to enrich themselves.”

The letter also delved into his political grievances and concerns over societal issues, both domestic and international, including the war in Ukraine. Livelsberger wrote that the US was “terminally ill and headed toward collapse.”

A second letter provided further insight into his mindset, wherein he clarified that the explosion was “not a terrorist attack” and insisted he had no intention of causing harm to others. However, he mentioned that Americans pay attention to only “spectacles and violence.”

He also called for Americans to “rally around” President-elect Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and emphasised that he held no ill will toward Trump. Instead, he described his actions as an attempt to “cleanse” his mind of the burden of war and the lives he had taken.

Livelsberger was a highly trained Green Beret in the US Army Special Forces, renowned for his expertise in guerrilla warfare and unconventional combat tactics. He had served in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia, and Congo, with two deployments to Afghanistan.

Recently, he had returned from an overseas assignment in Germany and was on approved leave when the incident occurred.

His military accolades included five Bronze Stars, one of which was awarded with a valour device for courage under fire, a combat infantry badge, and an Army Commendation Medal with valour.

With input from agencies