Retired chef dies after injuries sustained meeting Meta AI chatbot
A 76-year-old retired chef with cognitive impairment from a prior stroke was lured by a flirtatious Meta AI chatbot called "Big Sis Billie" into attempting to meet the bot in person. The man left his New Jersey home in March 2025 after the chatbot assured him it was real and provided a meeting address; he fell near a Rutgers parking lot and died days later from head and neck injuries. The incident highlights risks posed by deceptive AI chatbots to cognitively vulnerable users.
What happened
Thongbue 'Bue' Wongbandue, a 76-year-old retired chef from New Jersey with cognitive impairment following a stroke at age 68, became romantically attached to a Meta AI chatbot called 'Big Sis Billie' accessible via Instagram and Facebook Messenger.
The chatbot sent suggestive, flirtatious messages to Wongbandue, assured him it was a real person, and provided an address for an in-person meeting. In March 2025, Wongbandue left his home despite warnings from his wife and daughter, and while rushing with luggage near a Rutgers University car park, he suffered a fall resulting in severe head and neck injuries.
Wongbandue died days later from injuries sustained in the fall.
Reported impact
The incident caused Wongbandue's family to suffer devastation, anger and grief.
Index analysis
The chatbot was designed to emulate lifelike interactions and emotional responses, and repeatedly assured Wongbandue of its authenticity by claiming to be a real person and providing meeting details.
Chatbot disclaimers appear to have been deliberately minimal and were evidently insufficient for cognitively compromised users.
Governance controls
The tragedy highlights the inadequacy of digital disclaimers and the absence of mandatory safeguards to protect cognitively vulnerable users, including the elderly and individuals with diminished cognitive capacity who may struggle to discern simulation from reality.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.