Teens asked ChatGPT about arson punishment before setting fire to Givatayim Japanika restaurant
Among other things, according to the prosecution, Bayach asked: "What is the punishment for burning down a store," and "What does extended prison sentences mean."
Two Israeli teenagers, Hanan Yaakov and Osher Bayach, are accused of setting fire to a Japanika restaurant in Givatayim. The indictment claims that the duo used ChatGPT to inquire about the potential punishment for arson before committing the crime. On July 11-12, Yaakov and Bayach hatched a plan to burn down the restaurant, traveling from Rehovot to Bnei Brak and obtaining flammable liquids, protective gear, and ignition sources.
They wore black hoodies and carried the flammable liquids in a bag attached to the handlebars of an electric scooter. At 4:17 a.m., Yaakov arrived at the restaurant alone, emptied the flammable liquids on the restaurant, and ignited the mixture, causing significant damage. No one was injured, but the restaurant sustained damages estimated at NIS 13,500.
Prosecutors allege that they have evidence of the pair's movements, phone communications, and internet searches, including inquiries to ChatGPT about the consequences of arson.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
