The Facts

• A US woman has sued artificial intelligence firm Character.AI and Google over her 14-year-old son's suicide in February which, she said, was encouraged by Character.AI chatbot Dany. Megan Garcia said her son Sewell Setzer had a virtual romantic and sexual relationship with Dany.A US woman has sued artificial intelligence firm Character.AI and Google over her 14-year-old son's suicide which, she said, was encouraged by Character.AI chatbot Dany. Megan Garcia claimed her son Sewell Setzer III had a virtual romantic and sexual relationship with Dany.

• Sewell took his own life on Feb. 28 this year. Garcia has reportedly accused the creators of Dany, a chatbot based on the Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen, of negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, wrongful death, and deceptive trade practices.

• The Florida-based Sewell began using Character.AI in April 2023 and that allegedly changed him so much that by November he was diagnosed with anxiety and disruptive mood disorder. He reportedly made his suicidal thoughts known to Dany; the chatbot also brought them up often.