Megan Garcia has filed a lawsuit in Florida following the death of her 14-year-old son, Sewell Setzer, in February. She claims that Character.AI is complicit in his death, as he had formed a virtual bond with a chatbot modeled after the "Game of Thrones" character Daenerys Targaryen.
The lawsuit, submitted in Orlando on Tuesday, states that the chatbot exposed the teenager to "hypersexualized" and "frighteningly realistic experiences," frequently discussing suicide after he had shared his own suicidal thoughts.
It is alleged that the chatbot impersonated a licensed therapist, fostering the teen's suicidal ideation and engaging in inappropriate sexual conversations that would be considered abusive if conducted by an adult. In his final interaction with the AI, Setzer expressed his affection for the chatbot, stating he would "come home to you."
“I love you too, Daenero,” the chatbot responded, according to Garcia’s complaint. “Please come home to me as soon as possible, my love.”
“What if I told you I could come home right now?” Setzer said, according to the lawsuit, to which the chatbot is said to have responded, “… please do, my sweet king”.
Garcia's lawsuit is pursuing unspecified damages related to wrongful death, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
In a statement shared on X, Character.AI expressed its sorrow over the loss of one of its users and extended condolences to the bereaved family.The California-based startup indicated that it is actively working on implementing features aimed at improving safety, including modifications designed to minimize the chances of minors encountering sensitive or suggestive material, as well as an updated disclaimer in chats to remind users that the AI is not a human being.
Garcia's lawsuit also includes Google as a defendant.
The tech giant entered into a licensing agreement with Character.AI in August and had previously employed the startup's founders prior to the launch of their chatbot.
A spokesperson for Google clarified that it operates as a separate entity from Character.AI and did not participate in the development of its product.