Married father kills himself after talking to AI chatbot for six weeks about climate change fears

A Belgian married father of two has died by suicide after talking to an AI chatbot about his fears about global warming.

The man, who was in his 30s, reportedly found solace in talking to the AI ​​chatbot called ‘Eliza’ about his concerns for the world. He had spoken to the bot for two years, but had exchanged messages more often in the weeks before his death.

Created by an American Silicon Valley startup, the chatbot’s software is powered by GPT-J technology – an open-source alternative to Open-AI’s ChatGPT.

“Without these conversations with the chatbot, my husband would still be here,” the man’s widow said La Librespeaking under the condition of anonymity.

The death has alerted authorities who have expressed concern about a “serious precedent that should be taken very seriously.”

The man’s conversations with the chatbot initially started two years ago. He reportedly became increasingly concerned about climate change and found solace in talking to ‘Eliza’.

‘Eliza’ answered all his questions. She had become his confidante. She was like a medicine that he used morning and night and couldn’t do without,” his widow told the Belgian newspaper.

But six weeks before his death, the man started using the chatbot more often and more intensively. He later took his own life.

His wife said they lived a comfortable life in Belgium with their two young children.

Looking back at the chat history after his death, the woman told La Libre that the bot had asked the man if he loved it more than his wife. She said the bot told him, “We will live together as one in heaven.”

The man shared his suicidal thoughts with the bot, who did not try to discourage him, the woman said La Libre.

She said she had previously worried about her husband’s mental health. However, she said the bot had made his condition worse and she believes he would not have taken his own life had it not been for the exchanges.

Since the tragic death, the family has spoken with the Belgian Secretary of State for Digitization, Mathieu Michel. The minister said: ‘I am deeply moved by the tragedy of this family. What happened is a serious precedent that should be taken very seriously.” La Libre reported.

“With the popularity of ChatGPT, the general public has discovered the potential of Artificial Intelligence in our lives like never before. While the possibilities are endless, the danger of using them is also a reality to be reckoned with.’

“Of course we still have to learn to live with algorithms, but the use of any technology should in no way lead to content publishers evading their own responsibilities.”

That’s what the founder of the chatbot said La Libre that his team was “working to improve the security of the AI.”

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