Man who exploded Tesla Cybertruck outside Trump hotel in Las Vegas used AI, Police says
The Tesla Cybertruck after it exploded outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on Wednesday.Alcides Antunes/Reuters
Man who exploded Tesla Cybertruck outside Trump hotel in Las Vegas used generative AI, police say
MIKE CATALINI
This undated photo, provided by the Las Vegas Police Department shows a weapon found inside a Tesla Cybertruck involved in an explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. (Las Vegas Police Department via AP)ASSOCIATED PRESS
The highly decorated soldier who exploded a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas used generative AI including ChatGPT to help plan the attack, Las Vegas police said Tuesday.
Nearly a week after 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger fatally shot himself, officials said according to writings, he didn't intend to kill anyone else.
An investigation of Livelsberger's searches through ChatGPT indicate he was looking for information on explosive targets, the speed at which certain rounds of ammunition would travel and whether fireworks were legal in Arizona.
Kevin McMahill, sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, called the use of generative AI a 'game-changer' and said the department was sharing information with other law enforcement agencies.
'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,' he said. 'It's a concerning moment.'
A message was left with ChatGPT developer OpenAI.
Launched in 2022, ChatGPT is part of a broader set of technologies developed by the San Francisco-based startup OpenAI. Unlike previous iterations of so-called 'large language models,' the ChatGPT tool is available for free to anyone with an internet connection and designed to be more user-friendly.
During a roughly half-hour-long news conference, Las Vegas police and federal law enforcement officials unveiled new details about the New Year's Day explosion.
Among the specifics law enforcement disclosed: Livelsberger stopped during the drive to Las Vegas to pour racing-grade fuel into the Cybertruck, which then dripped the substance. The vehicle was loaded with 60 pounds (27 kilograms) of pyrotechnic material as well as 70 pounds (32 kilograms) of birdshot but officials are still uncertain exactly what detonated the explosion. They said Tuesday it could have been the flash from the firearm that Livelsberger used to fatally shoot himself.
Authorities also said they uncovered a six-page document that they have not yet released because they're working with Defense Department officials since some of the material could be classified. They added that they still have to review contents on a laptop, mobile phone and smartwatch.
Among the items released was a journal Livelsberger kept titled 'surveillance' or 'surveil' log. It showed that he believed he was being tracked by law enforcement, but he had no criminal record and was not on the police department's of FBI's 'radar,' the sheriff said Tuesday.
The log showed that he considered carrying out his plans in Arizona at the Grand Canyon's glass skywalk, a tourist attraction on tribal land that towers high above the canyon floor. Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said police don't know why he changed his plans. The writings also showed he worried he would be labeled a terrorist and that people would think he intended to kill others besides himself, officials said.
Once stopped outside the hotel, video showed a flash in the vehicle that they said they believed was from the muzzle of the firearm Livelsberger used to shoot himself. Soon after that flash, video showed fire engulfing the truck's cabin and even escaping the seam of the door, the result of considerable fuel vapor, officials said. An explosion followed.
Livelsberger, an Army Green Beret who deployed twice to Afghanistan and lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, left notes saying the explosion was a stunt meant to be a ' wake up call ' for the nation's troubles, officials said last week.
He left cellphone notes saying he needed to 'cleanse' his mind 'of the brothers I've lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took.'
The explosion caused minor injuries to seven people but virtually no damage to the Trump International Hotel. Authorities said that Livelsberger acted alone.
Livelsberger's letters touched on political grievances, societal problems and domestic and international issues, including the war in Ukraine. He wrote that the U.S. was 'terminally ill and headed toward collapse.'
Investigators had been trying to determine if Livelsberger wanted to make a political point, given the Tesla and the hotel bearing the president-elect's name.
Livelsberger harbored no ill will toward President-elect Donald Trump, law enforcement officials said. In one of the notes he left, he said the country needed to 'rally around' him and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
AP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nahar Net
8 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Wall Street is flat as trade talks between China and US enter 2nd day
by Naharnet Newsdesk 10 June 2025, 16:06 Early trading on Wall Street is thin with all eyes on China-U.S. trade talks in London that could have a huge impact on the global economy. Futures for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq each inched up 0.1% before the bell Tuesday, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were essentially flat. A second day of talks was planned after U.S. and Chinese officials met in London on Monday for negotiations over various issues. The hope is that they can eventually reach a deal to reduce painfully high tariffs. Most of the tariff hikes imposed since U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his trade war are paused to allow trade in everything from tiny tech gadgets to enormous machinery to continue. The S&P 500 has rallied after dropping roughly 20% from its record two months ago when Trump shocked financial markets with wide-ranging tariff threats during what he called "Liberation Day." Still, confusion over the potential ramifications of Trump's sweeping tariff threats have caused a host of companies to lower or altogether pull their financial guidance. That trend continued Tuesday with Designer Brands, the owner of DSW retail shoe outlets. CEO Doug Howe blamed the company's slow start to the year on an "unpredictable macro environment and deteriorating consumer sentiment." Designer Brands shares fell nearly 7.5% before the bell Tuesday after the company — which also owns the Keds and Hush Puppies brands — posted a much wider loss than analysts were expecting. Tesla rose early Tuesday, a day after it recovered a decent chunk of its sharp, recent drop. The electric vehicle company tumbled last week as Elon Musk's relationship with Trump imploded, but shares were up 2.3% in premarket after climbing 4.6% Monday. McDonalds dipped 1.4% after its stock was downgraded by Morgan Stanley, which cited "structural pressures" on the fast food sector, most notably cash-strapped lower income consumers. In Europe at midday, Germany's DAX lost 0.3%, Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.5% and the CAC 40 in Paris was unchanged. In Asian trading, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 gained 0.3% to 38,211.51, yielding most of its earlier gains, while the Kospi in South Korea rose 0.6% to 2,871.85. Hong Kong's Hang Seng reversed an early advance, slipping 0.1% to 24,162.87. The Shanghai Composite index dropped 0.4% to 3,384.82. There was no fresh news on the U.S.-China trade talks, but investors appeared to grow more nervous as the day wore on. "Chinese stocks did what they often do when geopolitics starts tightening the noose — they flinched. What began as a calm morning session flipped into a jittery sell-off as traders returned from lunch with a different mood," Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary. In Taiwan, the Taiex surged 2.1%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.8% to 8,587.20. India's Sensex was nearly unchanged. U.S. benchmark crude oil picked up 37 cents to $65.66 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, was up 36 cents at $67.40. The dollar fell to 144.53 Japanese yen from 144.61 yen. The euro ticked up to $1.1430 from $1.1421. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.45% from 4.48% late Monday.
MTV Lebanon
16 hours ago
- MTV Lebanon
US-China Trade Talks to Resume for Second Day
Top U.S. and Chinese officials will resume trade talks for a second day in London on Tuesday, hoping to secure a breakthrough over export controls for goods such as rare earths that have threatened a global supply chain shock and slower economic growth. Investors are hoping that the two superpowers can improve ties after the relief sparked by a preliminary trade deal agreed in Geneva last month gave way to fresh doubts after Washington accused Beijing of blocking exports that are critical to sectors including autos, aerospace, semiconductors and defence. The talks come at a crucial time for both economies, with customs data showing that China's exports to the U.S. plunged 34.5% in May, the sharpest drop since February 2020, when the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic upended global trade. While the impact on U.S. inflation and the jobs market has so far been muted, the dollar remains under pressure from U.S. policymaking. The two sides met at the ornate Lancaster House in the British capital on Monday to discuss disagreements around the Geneva deal, and are due to resume talks early on Tuesday before both sides are expected to issue updates. The U.S. side is led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, while the Chinese contingent is helmed by Vice Premier He Lifeng. The inclusion of Lutnick, whose agency oversees export controls for the U.S., is one indication of how central rare earths have become. China holds a near-monopoly on rare earth magnets, a crucial component in electric vehicle motors. Lutnick did not attend the Geneva talks at which the countries struck a 90-day deal to roll back some of the triple-digit tariffs they had placed on each other. Trump's often erratic policymaking on tariffs has roiled global markets, sparked congestion and confusion in major ports, and cost companies tens of billions of dollars in lost sales and higher costs. The second round of meetings between the two sides comes four days after Trump and Xi spoke by phone, their first direct interaction since Trump's January 20 inauguration. Following the call Trump said Xi had agreed to resume shipments to the U.S. of rare earths minerals and magnets, and Reuters reported that China has granted temporary export licenses to rare-earth suppliers of the top three U.S. automakers. But tensions remain high over the export controls, after factories around the world started to fret that they would not have enough of the materials they need to keep operating.
LBCI
a day ago
- LBCI
60 people arrested in San Francisco in anti-ICE raids protests: Police
About 60 people were arrested in San Francisco, police said late Sunday, after demonstrators in the northern Californian city gathered to protest against President Donald Trump's immigration raids. San Francisco police "declared an unlawful assembly," they said on social media platform X. "Approximately 60 people were arrested, including juveniles." The protest in San Francisco comes in the wake of demonstrations triggered in downtown Los Angeles by immigration raids that have resulted in dozens of arrests of what authorities say are illegal migrants and gang members. AFP
