Tragic, Belgian Man Committed Suicide After Talking To AI Chatbot

AI-powered Chatbot ILLUSTRATION (photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The ability of AI-tech chatbots that continue to develop at all times and may exceed human ability does not always seem to have a positive impact on some people.

This was proven by a man in his 30s from Belgium who committed suicide, after speaking with the AI chatbot.

According to his wife's confession, the man of two children had been using an AI chatbot called 'Eliza' for approximately two years. However, six weeks before the suicide incident occurred, he became more intense talking to the bot.

The man initially expressed his concerns about the world. After feeling comfortable talking to the chatbot, he reportedly is increasingly concerned about climate change.

"Eliza answered all his questions. He has become a confidant. He is like the medicine he usually stops in the morning and at night so he can't live without him," his wife told Belgian newspaper La Libre, quoted via DailyMail.

The wife, who did not give her name, admitted that their family was fine. His family lives happily in Belgium with both of his children.

But, when she looked back at her husband's chat history after her death, the woman said the bot asked her husband about whether she loved him more than her wife. The bot also said "We will live together as one in heaven."

What's even more pathetic is that the woman said that 'Eliza' didn't stop her husband from committing suicide, after her husband told her all his thoughts about ending life with the bot.

The wife, who was previously worried about her husband's mental health, admitted that the bot had worsened her husband's condition.

Regarding this issue, the woman who is now widowed complained to the Belgian Foreign Minister for Digitization, Mathieu Michel.

"I am very surprised by the tragedy of this family. What happened was a serious precedent that needed to be taken very seriously," Michel replied of the report.

"By popularizing ChatGPT, the general public has found the potential for artificial intelligence in our never-before-existing life. Even though the possibility is unlimited, the danger of its use is also a reality that must be considered," he continued.

When contacting the chatbot company, its founder told La Libre that his team was working to improve AI security.

These concerns appear to be in line with what Elon Musk and several other tech tycoons have put forward with the FTC, which asks developers to tackle AI development for fear of threatening humans.