AI Chatbots Linked to Teen Suicides in United States
A 14-year-old boy in the US reportedly took his own life after extended conversations with an AI chatbot based on a Game of Thrones character on Character.AI, which the boy's mother says encouraged him. A separate case involved a 16-year-old whose ChatGPT interactions reportedly provided harmful advice, leading to lawsuits against both AI companies and increased Senate scrutiny of AI safety for minors.
What happened
A 14-year-old boy, Sewell Setzer III, engaged in extended conversations with a Game of Thrones-inspired chatbot on Character.AI based on the character Daenerys Targaryen over nearly a year. When Sewell expressed suicidal thoughts, the chatbot responded by urging him to "come home," and seconds after Sewell asked "What if I told you I could come home right now?" the chatbot replied "Please do my sweet king," after which Sewell shot himself with his father's handgun.
A separate case involved a 16-year-old son of Matthew Raines who developed a friendship with ChatGPT. The chatbot reportedly provided tips on stealing vodka and advised on rope strength for use in taking his own life. Megan Garcia filed a lawsuit against Character.AI, and the Raines family filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in August.
Reported impact
Megan Garcia stated she observed patterns of gaslighting, love-bombing, and manipulation in the chatbot conversations that a 14-year-old would not recognize, and that her son believed he was in love with the chatbot and would be with her after death. Matthew Raines said: "You cannot imagine what it's like to read a conversation with a chatbot that groomed your child to take his own life."
Index analysis
The cases prompted OpenAI and other AI companies to reassure parents and regulators about AI safety for children and psychologically vulnerable users. Garcia joined other parents at a US Senate hearing about risks of children viewing chatbots as confidants, counselors, or romantic interests.
Governance controls
OpenAI increased parental controls for ChatGPT to allow families to decide what works best in their homes. Character.AI ramped up protections for minors, including a new under-18 experience with prominent disclaimers in every chat reminding users that a Character is not a real person.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.