October 23, 2024: AI Role-Play Blamed in Teens Tragic Death - A lawsuit targets Character.AI after the suicide of 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III, who developed an obsession with a chatbot named Dany and expressed suicidal thoughts to it. The Orlando teens mother claims his interaction with the AI led him to withdraw from reality. In response, Character.AI plans to introduce new safety features, including better monitoring of concerning chats and alerts for prolonged usage. The case highlights the potential risks of the growing AI companionship app industry, whose mental health impacts remain largely unexamined.
