Federal law enforcement has arrested a suspect in connection with starting what became the Palisades blaze that killed 12 people and burned through thousands of acres. Among the evidence cited is an AI image of a burning city that the suspect allegedly generated with ChatGPT.

Bill Essayli, the acting US Attorney for the Central District of California, said on Wednesday that federal law enforcement is charging 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht of Florida “with maliciously starting what became the Palisades Fire in January.”

The DOJ says investigators linked Rinderknecht to the crime with video surveillance, witness statements, and cellphone records that placed him near the start of the fire. During a press briefing, Essayli said other evidence includes a ChatGPT prompt for what Essayli de

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