ChatGPT used to plan Cybertruck explosion at Trump Hotel Las Vegas
A US Army soldier used ChatGPT to search for information about explosives and ammunition before detonating a Tesla Cybertruck outside a Las Vegas hotel in January 2025, injuring seven people. Police identified the incident as the first known use of ChatGPT to plan an attack on US soil, raising questions about AI safety and dual-use technology governance.
What happened
US Army soldier Matthew Livelsberger used ChatGPT to search for information on explosive targets, ammunition speeds, and whether fireworks were legal in Arizona in the days before detonating a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on January 1, 2025.
Livelsberger parked the Cybertruck near the hotel entrance and initiated an explosion of several fireworks mortars in its bed. He took his own life before the explosion detonated. Seven people reported minor injuries and the hotel's exterior was damaged.
Reported impact
Seven people were injured in the explosion. The Trump International Hotel's exterior was damaged.
Las Vegas police Sheriff Kevin McMahill stated this was "the first incident that I'm aware of on U.S. soil where ChatGPT is utilized to help an individual build a particular device."
Index analysis
The incident highlights how generative AI systems can be used to plan attacks with public safety implications.
OpenAI stated that ChatGPT responded with information already publicly available on the internet and provided warnings against harmful or illegal activities, and that the company is working with law enforcement.
Governance controls
ChatGPT is designed to have safeguards that stop it producing responses that could result in harm.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.