Incident 1104: AI Chatbot Allegedly Used to Research Explosive Materials in Palm Springs Fertility Clinic Bombing

Responded
Description: An unnamed AI chatbot was reportedly used by Guy Edward Bartkus and Daniel Park, the perpetrators of the 2025 Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing, to research explosive materials and optimize fuel mixtures. Records show the chatbot responded to queries related to ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) composition. The bombing resulted in one death, four injuries, and significant structural damage.
Editor Notes: See also Incident 886: ChatGPT Reportedly Referenced During Las Vegas Cybertruck Explosion Planning, including its editor's notes on the AIID's "but-for" causation standard. This incident shares narrative parallels, particularly regarding the reported use of generative AI tools in the planning stages of violent acts.

Tools

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Incident Stats

Incident ID
1104
Report Count
3
Incident Date
2025-05-17
Editors
Daniel Atherton
Applied Taxonomies
MIT

MIT Taxonomy Classifications

Machine-Classified
Taxonomy Details

Risk Subdomain

4.2. Cyberattacks, weapon development or use, and mass harm

Risk Domain

  1. Malicious Actors & Misuse

Entity

AI

Timing

Post-deployment

Intent

Unintentional

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Washington State Man Arrested on Federal Charges Alleging He Provided Material Support to Palm Springs Fertility Clinic Bomber
justice.gov · 2025

A Washington state man was arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging he provided material support to the Palm Springs fertility clinic bomber by shipping and paying for significant quantities of ammonium nitrate – an explosive precu…

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FBI says Palm Springs bombing suspects used AI chat program to help plan attack
cnbc.com · 2025

Two men suspected in last month's bombing of a Palm Springs, California fertility clinic used a generative artificial intelligence chat program to help plan the attack, federal authorities said Wednesday.

Records from an AI chat application…

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Man Charged With Providing Material Used in Fertility Clinic Bombing
nytimes.com · 2025
Santul Nerkar post-incident response

A Washington State man was accused on Wednesday of helping to plot and carry out the bombing of a California fertility clinic that killed one person and damaged buildings on several city blocks last month.

The man, Daniel Park, 32, was char…

Variants

A "variant" is an AI incident similar to a known case—it has the same causes, harms, and AI system. Instead of listing it separately, we group it under the first reported incident. Unlike other incidents, variants do not need to have been reported outside the AIID. Learn more from the research paper.
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