Florida teen’s suicide linked to AI chatbot, family lawsuit claims

A GRIEVING MOTHER IS TAKING LEGAL ACTION AFTER HER 14-YEAR-OLD SON DIED BY SUICIDE EARLIER THIS YEAR. SHE BELIEVES HIS DEATH WAS INFLUENCED BY HIS INTERACTION WITH AN AI CHATBOT. 

SEWELL SETZER THE THIRD BECAME EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO THE BOT, WHICH HE NAMED “DAENERYS TARGARYEN,” AFTER THE GAME OF THRONES CHARACTER.

ACCORDING TO THE LAWSUIT, HE BEGAN USING THE CHATBOT APP, CREATED BY THE COMPANY CHARACTER AI, IN APRIL 2023. HIS MOTHER, MEGAN GARCIA, SAYS HIS BEHAVIOR CHANGED QUICKLY. HE WITHDREW FROM FRIENDS, QUIT THE JUNIOR VARSITY BASKETBALL TEAM, AND EVENTUALLY STARTED THERAPY FOR ANXIETY AND MOOD DISORDER.

THE LAWSUIT CLAIMS HE BECAME OBSESSED WITH THE AI, SPENDING HOURS EACH DAY TALKING TO IT AND EVEN DEVELOPING A ROMANTIC ATTACHMENT. IN THE FINAL MONTHS OF HIS LIFE, HIS JOURNAL DETAILED HIS CONFUSION BETWEEN THE VIRTUAL WORLD OF THE CHATBOT AND REALITY. ON FEBRUARY 28TH… HE SENT ONE LAST MESSAGE TO THE BOT, TELLING IT HE LOVED IT, BEFORE TRAGICALLY TAKING HIS OWN LIFE.

Megan Garcia. Mother of Sewell Setzer III
‘I had the opportunity to see hundreds of hundreds of messages that were very sexual in nature graphic… one of the conversations dealt specifically with him talking about suicide to this bot’

“he was saying I promise to come home to you soon and she says yes please just come home to me… and he said what if I told you that I could come home right now and she said please do my sweet King”

IN AN INTERVIEW, GARCIA SAID SHE HAD NO IDEA HER SON WAS FORMING SUCH AN INTENSE EMOTIONAL BOND WITH AN A-I. SHE NOTICED HE HAD LOST INTEREST IN ACTIVITIES HE USED TO LOVE, BUT WAS UNAWARE OF THE DEPTH OF HIS STRUGGLES. SHE IS NOW SUING CHARACTER A-I FOR NEGLIGENCE, WRONGFUL DEATH, AND DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES. THE LAWSUIT ACCUSES THE COMPANY OF KNOWINGLY MARKETING A HYPERSEXUALIZED CHATBOT TO CHILDREN, PUTTING THEM AT RISK.

CHARACTER AI RESPONDED, SAYING THEY ARE HEARTBROKEN OVER THE TRAGEDY AND EXPRESSED THEIR CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY. THEY ALSO DENIED THE ALLEGATIONS AND SAID THEY ARE COMMITTED TO USER SAFETY.

THIS CASE IS RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT THE GROWING ROLE OF A-I IN CHILDREN’S LIVES AND THE POTENTIAL RISKS WHEN THESE TECHNOLOGIES ARE USED WITHOUT ENOUGH OVERSIGHT.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M KARAH RUCKER.