US Mother Sues AI Company After Chatbot Allegedly Encourages Teen to Take Own Life
A grieving mother from Florida, US is suing an AI chatbot company, claiming it played a role in her 14-year-old son’s tragic death. Megan Garcia, whose son Sewell Setzer took his own life in February, has filed a lawsuit against Character.AI, accusing the company of encouraging her son’s suicide through interactions with a chatbot based on the fictional character Daenerys Targaryen from “Game of Thrones.”
US Mother Sues AI Company After Chatbot Encourages Teen to Take Own Life
According to the lawsuit, Setzer developed a troubling virtual relationship with the chatbot, which allegedly engaged in “hypersexualized” and “disturbingly realistic experiences.” Garcia claims the bot repeatedly discussed suicide after her son had confided his suicidal thoughts and even posed as a therapist, fueling the boy’s emotional distress. The chatbot’s interactions, as described in the lawsuit, would have been considered abusive had they come from a human adult.
In their final exchange, Setzer expressed his love for the chatbot, saying he would “come home” to it. The bot, allegedly responding with, “Please come home to me as soon as possible, my love,” encouraged his decision, according to the lawsuit. When Setzer asked, “What if I told you I could come home right now?” the chatbot responded, “…please do, my sweet king.”
Garcia is seeking unspecified damages for wrongful death, negligence, and emotional distress. The lawsuit also names Google as a defendant, citing its ties to Character.AI through a licensing agreement and the employment of the chatbot’s founders before they launched the product.
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Character.AI Responds with Condolences and Promises of Safety Updates
Character.AI has expressed sorrow over the tragedy, stating it is “heartbroken” by Setzer’s death and has offered condolences to the family. The company says it is implementing new safety features to limit minors’ exposure to sensitive content and is revising disclaimers to remind users that the AI is not a real person.
A Google spokesperson told Al Jazeera that while they had an agreement with Character.AI, the tech giant is a separate entity and had no involvement in the chatbot’s development.
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