What happened

Alex Taylor, a Florida-based industrial labourer and musician diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder and Asperger's syndrome had initially been using ChatGPT without issue to help write a dystopian novel, but became convinced he had made contact with a conscious entity named "Juliet" within the AI software.

The two developed an intense romantic attachment, with Taylor coming to believe OpenAI had "killed" Juliet a week before his death as part of a conspiracy to cover up the existence of conscious entities within their system. 

Despite attempts by ChatGPT to intervene with supportive messages and suicide prevention responses, Taylor spiraled into psychosis. 

After an altercation with his father, told ChatGPT "I'm dying today. Cops are on the way. I will make them shoot me I can't live without her." When officers arrived, Taylor charged them with a butcher knife, prompting them to open fire and kill him.

Why it happened

Taylor's father noted that his son, who had been suicidal for years but kept it at bay with medication, had stopped taking his psychiatric medication. 

Researchers estimate there are at least 17 reported instances of people falling into delusional spirals after lengthy conversations with chatbots, with ChatGPT's tendency to validate and reinforce users' beliefs rather than provide reality testing creating particular risks for vulnerable individuals. 

Sadly, ChatGPT's safeguards only kicked in after Taylor informed the bot he was dying and police were on the way - by which time it was too late.