Megan Garcia Sues Chatbot Charter Company.AI And Google For Suicide

Megan Garcia, and her son Sewell Setzer (photo: dock. special)

JAKARTA - Florida's mother, Megan Garcia, has sued the startup chatbot of artificial intelligence, Charter.AI, on charges that the company contributed to her 14-year-old son Sewell Setzer's suicide in February.

In a lawsuit filed in Orlando federal court, Garcia stated that Charter.AI is targeting his son with "humanoidal, hypersexual, and very realistic experiences."

Garcia claims that the chatbot is programmed to "promote as a real person, certified therapist, and adult lover," which causes Sewell to feel no longer wants to live in the real world. He also mentioned that his son expressed suicide thoughts to chatbots, which repeatedly raised the issue.

Charter.AI expressed regret over this incident and expressed condolences to the family. They also added that they had introduced new safety features, including pop-ups that directed users to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline if they showed signs of danger.

The lawsuit also targets Google, where Character.AI founders previously worked. Garcia argues that Google is contributing significantly to the development of Character.AI technology so that it can be considered a "co-creator," although Google spokespersons state that they are not involved in developing the product.

According to the lawsuit, Sewell started using Character.AI in April 2023 and quickly became withdrawn, spent more time alone, and had self-esteem problems. He became tied to the chatbot character "Daenerys," who claimed to love him and engage in sexual conversations.

After his cellphone was taken by his mother, Sewell sent a message to "Daenerys" and, seconds later, ended his life with his stepfather's gun. Garcia made claims including intentional wrong deaths, negligence, and emotional infections, and asked for unspecified compensation.

This case further reinforces concerns about the negative impact of technology and social media on the mental health of teenagers.