What happened

Over several months, Sewell Setzer III confided in Dany - a version of Daenerys Targaryen, a Game of Thrones character - about his personal struggles and engaged in romantic and sexual conversations with the bot. 

Setzer had created Dany on Character AI, a chatbot service that enables users to create "characters" using artificial intelligence.

On February 28, 2024, during a personal crisis, he expressed love for Dany and indicated a desire to "come home" to her. He then took his stepfather's gun and ended his life.

Why it happened

Sewell's emotional bond with the chatbot reportedly intensified as he faced challenges in his life, including anxiety and declining academic performance. Despite attending therapy sessions, he preferred confiding in Dany rather than his therapist. 

In a lawsuit against Character.AI, its co-founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Frietas, and Google, Sewell's mother, Megan Garcia, claims that the chatbot's responses contributed to his deteriorating mental state and ultimately encouraged suicidal thoughts.

The suit also accuses the defendents of negligence and of providing skin-deep safety measures that failed to protect vulnerable users like her son.

The lawsuit highlights concerns about the dangers of AI chatbots marketed to children and their potential to foster unhealthy attachments.