Mother says AI chatbot led her son to kill himself in lawsuit against its maker
Megan Garcia said Sewell, 14, used Character.ai obsessively before his death and alleges negligence and wrongful death
The mother of a teenager who killed himself after becoming obsessed with an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot now accuses its maker of complicity in his death.
Megan Garcia filed a civil suit against Character.ai, which makes a customizable chatbot for role-playing, in Florida federal court on Wednesday, alleging negligence, wrongful death and deceptive trade practices. Her son Sewell Setzer III, 14, died in Orlando, Florida, in February. In the months leading up to his death, Setzer used the chatbot day and night, according to Garcia.
In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In the UK, the youth suicide charity Papyrus can be contacted on 0800 068 4141 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org, and in the UK and Ireland Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
Continue reading...Topics
-
An AI chatbot pushed a teen to kill himself, a lawsuit against its creator alleges
Tech - ABC News - October 25 -
Florida mother files lawsuit against AI company over son's death
Top stories - CBS News - October 23 -
Elon Musk adds Microsoft to lawsuit against ChatGPT-maker OpenAI
Top stories - BBC News - 5 days ago -
Mother of cinematographer killed on set of 'Rust' boycotts its world premiere
Entertainment - ABC News - 21 hours ago -
Susan Smith denied parole 30 years after killing her 2 sons
Top stories - ABC News - 22 hours ago -
Shell’s successful appeal will not end climate lawsuits against firms, say experts
World - The Guardian - November 14 -
Mother of cinematographer killed on set of Alec Baldwin film 'Rust' boycotts its world premiere
World - ABC News - Yesterday -
Google AI chatbot asks user to ‘please die’
Politics - The Hill - Yesterday
More from The Guardian
-
ICC issues arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged Gaza war crimes
World - The Guardian - 1 hour ago -
Ukraine claims Russia fired intercontinental ballistic missile at Dnipro
World - The Guardian - 4 hours ago -
Police report details sexual assault allegations against Pete Hegseth
World - The Guardian - 3 hours ago -
First close-up image of a star outside Milky Way shows supergiant in ‘cocoon’
World - The Guardian - 1 hour ago -
Son of woman killed by IRA condemns ‘cruel’ Disney series
World - The Guardian - 3 hours ago