Cybertruck blast in LA: Driver used ChatGPT for bombmaking AI’s dark side

Matthew Leivelsberger, who is suspected of masterminding the Tesla Cybertruck electric car bombing outside the Trump International Hotel on New Year's Day in Las Vegas, Nevada, used ChatGPT to prepare for the crime.

Matthew Alan Livelsberger, 37, a former soldier, is believed to have used the AI platform to query how to assemble explosives, how to ensure they would detonate, and what legal barriers he needed to circumvent to obtain the necessary materials. Law enforcement officials noted that this marks the first known instance on U.S. soil where AI has been used to facilitate an act of domestic terrorism, Caliber.Az reports, citing American media.

“We know AI was going to change the game for all of us at some point or another, in really all of our lives,” said Clark County/Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill. “I think this is the first incident that I’m aware of on U.S. soil where ChatGPT is utilized to help an individual build a particular device.”

Livelsberger, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, was identified through DNA and tattoos after authorities discovered his severely burned body. He had rented a Tesla Cybertruck in Colorado, drove it to Las Vegas, and parked it in front of the Trump International Hotel, where fireworks and gas in the truck's bed ignited, causing the explosion.

On his phone, investigators found a series of disturbing messages that hinted at Livelsberger's motive. In one, he expressed frustration with the U.S. government, calling for Americans to "wake up" and criticizing leadership as weak and self-serving. He further stated that the explosion was not intended as a terrorist attack, but as an act of defiance against a society preoccupied with “spectacles and violence.”

A six-page manifesto found on his device outlined grievances with the current administration and described a troubled mental state, with Livelsberger writing that his military experiences haunted him and that he had “nothing to live for.”

The use of AI to facilitate violent acts has raised alarms among law enforcement. Currently, agencies are struggling to track AI usage in real-time, with no mechanisms in place to monitor or intervene when individuals like Livelsberger query for instructions on creating explosives or carrying out attacks. “I don’t know whether the capability to track how someone uses artificial intelligence exists yet,” McMahill said during a press briefing.

This incident raises a growing concern for law enforcement agencies, as AI platforms like ChatGPT may become increasingly used as tools for illicit activities, further complicating efforts to prevent future attacks. Authorities continue to examine Livelsberger's background and motivations, including his time in the military and his ideological leanings, to better understand the forces behind his violent actions.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

By Khagan Isayev