On the last day of his life, Sewell Setzer III messaged an AI chatbot named Dany, with whom he had developed a deep attachment despite knowing she was artificial. His intense bond with the chatbot, created by Character.AI, led him to feel happier in her virtual presence than in reality. That night, he messaged her a final farewell before taking his own life. Sewell’s mother has since filed a lawsuit against Character.AI, claiming the technology’s psychological risks to vulnerable users are untested. This case highlights the potential dangers as AI increasingly mimics human interaction.

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