Mother Sues AI Company For Its Role in Her Teen Son’s Death [Video]

A Florida mom is mourning the loss of her teenage son after he took his life in February 2024. Now, she is suing Character.AI, alleging the artificial intelligence company bears some responsibility for her son’s death.

Megan Garcia describes her son Sewell Setzer, III as smart and athletic, but says she began noticing him becoming more withdrawn after he started a virtual relationship with a chatbot on Character.AI in April 2023 he called “Daenerys,” based on a character from the series “Game of Thrones.”

“I became concerned when we would go on vacation and he didn’t want to do things that he loved, like fishing and hiking,” Garcia told CBS News. “Those things to me, because I know my child, were particularly concerning to me.”

According to Reuters, Garcia’s suit, filed on Oct. 23 in Orlando, Florida federal court, includes allegations of “wrongful death, negligence and …