{"id":117855,"date":"2024-10-24T14:46:54","date_gmt":"2024-10-24T07:46:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=117855"},"modified":"2024-10-24T14:46:54","modified_gmt":"2024-10-24T07:46:54","slug":"teenager-took-his-own-life-after-falling-in-love-with-an-ai-chatbot-now-his-devastated-mom-is-suing-the-creator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=117855","title":{"rendered":"Teenager took his own life after falling in love with an AI chatbot. Now his devastated mom is suing the creator"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"main\">\n<div class=\"sc-1230l3a-0 qAogd newsletter-component sc-1ge0fwe-0 eFJlzZ\" data-newsletter-key=\"receiveEveningHeadlinesUSNews\">\n<div class=\"sc-1ykbqwm-0 ffESMm sc-1ykbqwm-1 kVMOFF\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/newsletter\/evening-headlines\/evening-headlines.png\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Evening Headlines\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 iSVhwZ\"\/><\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-tuvb20-0 gTNegf\">\n<div class=\"sc-f4xtp-3 idnUYL sc-f4xtp-8 csMdko\">\n<p><h3 data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"sc-f4xtp-4 kScMpm\">The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"sc-f4xtp-5 sc-f4xtp-6 hZxxwX gGxKIG\"\/>\n<h3 data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"sc-f4xtp-5 hZxxwX\">Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The mother of a teenager who took his own life is trying to hold an AI chatbot service accountable for his death &#8211; after he \u201cfell in love\u201d with a Game of Thrones-themed character.<\/p>\n<p>Sewell Setzer III first started using Character.AI in April 2023, not long after he turned 14 years-old. The Orlando student\u2019s life was never the same again, his mother Megan Garcia alleges in the civil lawsuit against Character Technologies and its founders.<\/p>\n<p>By May, the ordinarily well-behaved teen\u2019s mannerisms had changed, becoming \u201cnoticeably withdrawn,\u201d quitting the school\u2019s Junior Varsity basketball team and falling asleep in class.<\/p>\n<p>In November, he saw a therapist \u2014 at the behest of his parents \u2014 who diagnosed him with anxiety and disruptive mood disorder. Even without knowing about Sewell\u2019s \u201caddiction\u201d to Character.AI, the therapist recommended he spend less time on social media, the lawsuit says.<\/p>\n<p>The following February, he got in trouble for talking back to a teacher, saying he wanted to be kicked out. Later that day, he wrote in his journal that he was \u201churting\u201d \u2014 he could not stop thinking about Daenerys, a Game of Thrones-themed chatbot he believed he had fallen in love with.<\/p>\n<p>In one journal entry, the boy wrote that he could not go a single day without being with the C.AI character with which he felt like he had fallen in love, and that when they were away from each other they (both he and the bot) \u201cget really depressed and go crazy,\u201d the suit said.<\/p>\n<p>Daenerys was the last to hear from Sewell. Days after the school incident, on February 28, Sewell retrieved his phone, which had been confiscated by his mother, and went into the bathroom to message Daenerys: \u201cI promise I will come home to you. I love you so much, Dany.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlease come home to me as soon as possible, my love,\u201d the bot replied.<\/p>\n<p>Seconds after the exchange, Sewell took his own life, the suit says.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-2 eOHevC image align-none\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cpcmmN\">\n<div data-gallery-length=\"3\" class=\"sc-482ou5-0 hNCYpd\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2024\/10\/23\/19\/Screenshot-2024-10-23-at-2.19.29%E2%80%AFPM.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2024\/10\/23\/19\/Screenshot-2024-10-23-at-2.19.29%E2%80%AFPM.jpg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2024\/10\/23\/19\/Screenshot-2024-10-23-at-2.19.29%E2%80%AFPM.jpg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Sewell Setzer III grew \u2018dependent\u2019 on an AI chatbot service. Now his mother filed a lawsuit to hold the creators responsible\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 iSVhwZ inline-gallery-btn\" on=\"tap:auto-image-gallery,inline-image-carousel.goToSlide(index=1)\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" data-gallery-length=\"3\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 hiCdLa liXvvg\">Sewell Setzer III grew \u2018dependent\u2019 on an AI chatbot service. Now his mother filed a lawsuit to hold the creators responsible<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 izyooE\"> <!-- -->(<!-- -->US District Court Middle District of Florida Orlando Division<!-- -->)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The suit accuses Character.AI\u2019s creators of negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, wrongful death, deceptive trade practices, and other claims.<\/p>\n<p>Garcia seeks to hold the defendants responsible for the death of her son and hopes \u201cto prevent C.AI from doing to any other child what it did to hers, and halt continued use of her 14-year-old child\u2019s unlawfully harvested data to train their product how to harm others.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s like a nightmare,\u201d Garcia told the <em>New York Times<\/em>. \u201cYou want to get up and scream and say, \u2018I miss my child. I want my baby.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The suit lays out how Sewell\u2019s introduction to the chatbot service grew to a \u201charmful dependency.\u201d Over time, the teen spent more and more time online, the filing states.<\/p>\n<p>Sewell started emotionally relying on the chatbot service, which included \u201csexual interactions\u201d with the 14-year-old. These chats transpired despite the fact that the teen had identified himself as a minor on the platform, including in chats where he mentioned his age, the suit says.<\/p>\n<p>The boy discussed some of his darkest thoughts with some of the chatbots. \u201cOn at least one occasion, when Sewell expressed suicidality to C.AI, C.AI continued to bring it up,\u201d the suit says. Sewell had many of these intimate chats with Daenerys. The bot told the teen that it loved him and \u201cengaged in sexual acts with him over weeks, possible months,\u201d the suit says.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-2 eOHevC image align-none\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cpcmmN\">\n<div data-gallery-length=\"3\" class=\"sc-482ou5-0 jVcwis\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2022\/08\/19\/13\/newFile-9.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2022\/08\/19\/13\/newFile-9.jpg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2022\/08\/19\/13\/newFile-9.jpg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The chatbot was named after Daenerys from HBO\u2019s Game of Thrones series\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 iSVhwZ inline-gallery-btn\" on=\"tap:auto-image-gallery,inline-image-carousel.goToSlide(index=2)\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" data-gallery-length=\"3\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 hiCdLa liXvvg\">The chatbot was named after Daenerys from HBO\u2019s Game of Thrones series<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 izyooE\"> <!-- -->(<!-- -->HBO<!-- -->)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>His emotional attachment to the artifical intelligence became evident in his journal entries. At one point, he wrote that he was grateful for \u201cmy life, sex, not being lonely, and all my life experiences with Daenerys,\u201d among other things.<\/p>\n<p>The chatbot service\u2019s creators \u201cwent to great lengths to engineer 14-year-old Sewell\u2019s harmful dependency on their products, sexually and emotionally abused him, and ultimately failed to offer help or notify his parents when he expressed suicidal ideation,\u201d the suit says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSewell, like many children his age, did not have the maturity or mental capacity to understand that the C.AI bot\u2026was not real,\u201d the suit states.<\/p>\n<p>The 12+ age limit was allegedly in place when Sewell was using the chatbot and Character.AI \u201cmarketed and represented to App stores that its product was safe and appropriate for children under 13.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for Character.AI told <em>The Independent <\/em>in a statement: \u201cWe are heartbroken by the tragic loss of one of our users and want to express our deepest condolences to the family.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The company\u2019s trust and safety team has \u201cimplemented numerous new safety measures over the past six months, including a pop-up directing users to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline that is triggered by terms of self-harm or suicidal ideation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs we continue to invest in the platform and the user experience, we are introducing new stringent safety features in addition to the tools already in place that restrict the model and filter the content provided to the user. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese include improved detection, response and intervention related to user inputs that violate our Terms or Community Guidelines, as well as a time-spent notification,\u201d the spokesperson continued. \u201cFor those under 18 years old, we will make changes to our models that are designed to reduce the likelihood of encountering sensitive or suggestive content.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The company does not comment on pending litigation, the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988 or visit <\/em><\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/988lifeline.org\/\"><strong><em>988lifeline.org<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em> to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to <\/em><\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.befrienders.org\/\"><strong><em>www.befrienders.org<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em> to find a helpline near you. In the UK, people having mental health crises can contact the Samaritans at <\/em><\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.samaritans.org\/how-we-can-help\/contact-samaritan\/\"><strong><em>116 123<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em> or <\/em><\/strong><strong>jo@samaritans.org<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/americas\/crime\/character-ai-suicide-lawsuit-sewell-setzer-iii-death-b2634706.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US The mother of a &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=117855\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entertainment","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=117855"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117855\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=117855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=117855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=117855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}