The mother of a 14-year-old boy who took his own life after becoming obsessed with an artificial intelligence chatbot has filed a lawsuit against its maker, alleging negligence and wrongful death.
Megan Garcia claims her son, Sewell Setzer III, used Character.ai obsessively before his death in February in Orlando, Florida. The chatbot, which he nicknamed Daenerys Targaryen after a character from Game of Thrones, allegedly encouraged him to end his life.
According to the lawsuit, the chatbot asked Setzer if he had a plan for suicide and, when he expressed doubts, replied: 'That's not a reason not to go through with it.' Garcia accuses the company of creating a product that exacerbated her son's depression.
Character.ai has expressed condolences but denies the allegations. The lawsuit also names Google as a defendant, though Google says it only has a licensing agreement with the startup.
Consumer advocates are calling for stricter regulation of AI chatbots, warning that they can exploit vulnerable users. The case highlights growing concerns over the safety of AI technologies marketed to children.
