Case cybertruck-chatgpt-planningPrompt injectionUnited States
Las Vegas Cybertruck bomber used ChatGPT to plan explosion, police say
Las Vegas police said Matthew Livelsberger, an active-duty soldier, used ChatGPT to research explosives and plan the 1 January 2025 Cybertruck blast that injured seven; OpenAI said its model gave only public information.
HighAttack using AIStatus: ResolvedVerified case file
Open in the interactive mapCite this case
- Reported
- Jan 7, 2025
- Location
- United States
- Target
- Trump International Hotel, Las Vegas
- Severity
- High
- Triggered by
- Matthew Livelsberger
- Actor type
- Criminal
- Reported loss
- None reported
- CVE
- None
What happened
Las Vegas police said Matthew Livelsberger, an active-duty soldier, used ChatGPT to research explosives and plan the 1 January 2025 Cybertruck blast that injured seven; OpenAI said its model gave only public information.
Impact: Seven people injured; first widely cited case of a US attack planned with a consumer chatbot
Who triggered it
Actor: Matthew Livelsberger
Attribution: Identified by police from phone and vehicle evidence; deceased by self-inflicted gunshot
Motive: Personal and political grievances described in a manifesto on his phone
How it happened
Attack vector: Queries to ChatGPT about explosives, ammunition and fireworks; vehicle loaded with mortars and fuel canisters
Root cause: General-purpose chatbot answered questions whose intent was not evident; safeguards did not prevent the planning
Timeline
- Cybertruck explodes outside Trump International Hotel
- Police release ChatGPT query details
Response
OpenAI said it was cooperating with law enforcement and that its models refused harmful instructions and warned the user
Current status: Resolved
Sources (open in a new tab)
Cite this case
Las Vegas Cybertruck bomber used ChatGPT to plan explosion, police say. AI Threat Watch, case cybertruck-chatgpt-planning, Jan 7, 2025. https://aithreat.io/cases/cybertruck-chatgpt-planning/
Permanent link: https://aithreat.io/cases/cybertruck-chatgpt-planning/