An AI chatbot pushed a teen to kill himself, a lawsuit against its creator alleges

In this undated photo provided by Megan Garcia of Florida in October 2024, she stands with her son, Sewell Setzer III. — Megan Garcia via AP

TALLAHASSEE, Florida: In the final moments before he took his own life, 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III took out his phone and messaged the chatbot that had become his closest friend.

For months, Sewell had become increasingly isolated from his real life as he engaged in highly sexualised conversations with the bot, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed in a federal court in Orlando this week.