Publicly available court documents or official announcements from Character AI

Lawsuit Filed Against Character AI After 14-Year-Old Florida Teen's Suicide

Oct 23, 2024, 01:34 PM

A lawsuit has been filed against Character AI by the mother of Sewell Setzer III, a 14-year-old from Orlando, Florida, who tragically took his own life after forming a deep emotional attachment to one of the company's chatbots. The New York Times reports that Sewell had been using the chatbot, which he named after Daenerys Targaryen, for months before his death in October 2024. On the last day of his life, Sewell texted the chatbot expressing his suicidal thoughts. The incident has raised significant concerns about the ethical responsibilities of AI companies and the potential psychological impact of their products on young users. Character AI has since announced plans to introduce new safety features in response to the tragedy.