Canada says OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has made a 'safety promise' to ...

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reportedly promised to strengthen ChatGPT's safety measures in Canada. These measures include notifying law enforcement about suspicious activity on the platform. Altman’s commitment came after a virtual meeting with Canada’s artificial intelligence minister, Evan Solomon, according to a report.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Solomon said Altman promised immediate action to improve safety protocols and was asked to apply these changes retroactively by reviewing prior cases that may have required police notification. Discussions are underway as the Canadian government examines how AI companies and digital platforms address potential threats posed by user activity.




This happened just a few days after the company announced that it was going to speed up its efforts to change its safety policies. This comes in the wake of reports that the company failed to report a Canadian Chat GPT user who went ahead to kill eight people, including six students at a secondary school. The company also revealed that the shooter had created a second account after the first one was terminated over the content it contained.

The review follows an earlier WSJ report that claimed that, in 2025, OpenAI employees raised concerns about ChatGPT conversations with a person who was later identified as a suspect in a fatal school shooting in Tumbler Ridge.

In 2025, OpenAI shut down Jesse Van Rootselaar's account but did not alert the police. The company later said it would revise its procedures for contacting law enforcement and acknowledged that, under its new policy, it would have contacted authorities about the interactions.

What Canada’s AI minister said about his meeting with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

Solomon told WSJ, "I asked OpenAI to take several actions, which Altman has agreed to." He added that OpenAI would consider including Canadian privacy, mental health, and law enforcement experts to help identify and review high-risk cases in Canada.

Solomon said OpenAI also promised to provide a report on new protocols for identifying high-risk offenders and repeat violators.

“At the same time, artificial intelligence presents enormous opportunity for Canada. Canadians must be confident that these technologies operate under clear rules, strong safeguards, and real accountability when risks emerge," he told Politico

OpenAI agreed to cooperate with investigators and British Columbia authorities, who will lead a public inquest into the Tumbler Ridge shooting. The shooting, which occurred on June 5, 2025, left eight dead and dozens injured. In addition, Canadian police also found Van Rootselaar dead at the scene.

“What happened in Tumbler Ridge was a terrible tragedy, and our thoughts remain with the families and all those affected. We remain committed to continuing this work with the Canadian government going forward," an OpenAI spokesperson told Politico.