Storm pointed out the flawed logic behind the case against him and Tornado Cash, stressing that Google and OpenAI would be liable as their products are being used by North Korean operatives to fund the country’s nuclear program.
Key Takeaways
Storm says Google and OpenAI are liable for DPRK hackers using AI, exposing flawed DOJ logic.Storm argues his verdict sets a dangerous precedent, punishing neutral developers for user crimes.The proposed CLARITY Act offers developer protections, but low passage odds leave coders at risk.Roman Storm, founder of the anonymizing crypto protocol Tornado Cash, has called out Google and OpenAI as enablers of North Korea’s nuclear effort.
On social media, Storm remarked that a recent investigation into North Korean IT workers revealed the continued use of ChatGPT for writing and coding, and of Google Gemini for forgeries and image alteration by these threat actors.
“That’s exactly the theory behind USA v. Roman Storm: build a neutral tool, bad actors abuse it, and the developer gets prosecuted instead of the criminals,” he declared on social media.
“If that logic is absurd for Google and OpenAI – it’s absurd for Roman Storm.You prosecute the criminal, not the toolmaker. Writing code is not a crime,” he stressed.
“So let’s be consistent: subpoena every Google and OpenAI employee. Dig through their text messages for any hint they knew their tools were used by DPRK. Indict them for 20 years in prison on IEEPA charges,” Storm concluded.
