Psychologists such as David Greenfield have been warning the public since 2023 claiming generative AI could have serious negative consequences on mental health. — Image by Freepik
In 2023, a 14-year-old boy in Florida, Sewell Setzer III, developed a relationship with a lifelike artificial intelligence chatbot. The relationship grew and Sewell began to confide his vulnerabilities in this chatbot. A few months later, Sewell fatally shot himself in his bathroom in Orlando, weeks before he would have turned 15.
According to a wrongful death lawsuit, the AI chatbot exacerbated his despair and played an instrumental role in his death. Beyond the tragedy of teen suicide, this and other stories are a stark warning in this new era of AI.
