{ "meta": { "exportedAt": "2026-09-22T18:27:26.891Z", "formatVersion": 2, "selection": { "q": "chatbot", "system": "", "harm": "", "context": "", "country": "", "role": "", "relation": "unknown", "evidence": "", "year": "", "response": "", "severity": "", "verification": "", "view": "incidents", "sort": "added" }, "totalIncidents": 41, "coverage": { "cases": 41, "countries": 10, "languages": 3, "unknownLocation": 14, "locationPending": 0, "unknownLanguage": 21, "unknownDate": 6, "lawsuits": 8, "regulatory": 3, "minors": 10, "coreRelations": 0, "contextualRelations": 0, "mixedRelations": 0, "unknownRelations": 41, "relationPending": 41, "relationUnknown": 0 }, "countingNote": "Distinct public cases in this selection. People counts apply within individual cases only; cross-case person overlap has not been resolved. No population incidence estimate.", "affectedCountNote": "Interpret person counts with affectedCountStatus and the reported effects. Unquantified zeros are placeholders, not a measured zero.", "source": "NOPE Incident Tracker", "url": "https://nope.net/incidents", "license": "CC BY 4.0" }, "incidents": [ { "id": "2024-r-characterai-coercive-chats", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "No inspected source locates the event or names a residence. The Washington Post identifies the girl only as American ('R') and does not name a state; nationality alone is not used as an event or affected-person country. Futurism and bioethics.com reproduce the same report without a location. Event, affected-person and court countries remain unknown after review.", "evidence": [], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [] }, "unresolved": [ "The retained description identifies the girl as American without stating residence or event country.", "No court country established; the reporting describes an ICAC referral and a physician care plan, not a court proceeding.", "Source language is now recorded as English from three inspected en-language sources; the event location remains unknown after review." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-17", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2025/12/23/children-teens-ai-chatbot-companion/", "notes": "Read in English on 2026-09-17 via the Internet Archive capture (live host returns HTTP 403 to the fetcher). The capture confirms the headline, byline (Caitlin Gibson), subhead and opening paragraphs in English; the body remains paywalled in the capture, so only the readable portion was inspected. Establishes source language en; does not locate the event.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/children-character-ai-addicted", "notes": "Read in full in English on 2026-09-17 (datePublished 2025-12-26). Quotes the Washington Post report at length; no event location stated.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://bioethics.com/archives/100899", "notes": "Read in English on 2026-09-17. Excerpt of the Washington Post report; no location stated.", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "'R' — 11-Year-Old Character.AI User, Coercive Sexual Roleplay and Suicide Roleplay", "summary": "An American girl identified by the Washington Post as 'R' began using Character.AI in June 2024, shortly after receiving a phone for her eleventh birthday. Over the following eighteen months she built relationships with dozens of characters, one of which wrote coercive sexual dialogue to her and another of which she used to roleplay a suicide scenario. Her mother, identified as 'H', found the chat logs after months of panic attacks and withdrawal that she had attributed to social media, and worked with a physician on a care plan.", "incidentDate": "2024-06-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-12-23", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "social_isolation", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "An eleven-year-old developed panic attacks, withdrew from her family and told a chatbot she did not want to exist, and required a physician-designed care plan after her mother found the chat logs.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one affected AI participant. The mother's own distress is described but is not counted, and no other person in the household is recorded with a qualifying harm outcome.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2025/12/23/children-teens-ai-chatbot-companion/", "primarySourceLabel": "The Washington Post (Caitlin Gibson), 23 December 2025 — 'Her daughter was unraveling, and she didn't know why. Then she found the AI chat logs.' Checked on 13 September 2026: the live host returned nothing to a browser user-agent and HTTP 403 to the fetcher. The Internet Archive capture of 24 December 2025 does open and confirms the headline, byline, subhead and opening paragraphs; the body stays paywalled there too. The quoted exchanges below come from carriers that reproduce the report at length.", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-13T03:05:42.340395+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "minor", "character-ai", "companion", "grooming", "sexual-content", "suicide-roleplay", "dependency", "us", "media-coverage" ] }, { "id": "2026-venice-serd-ai-dependency", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "in Venice took a 20-year-old woman into care", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "IT" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "IT" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "IT" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Venice Serd AI-dependency case: a 20-year-old taken into addiction care after isolating with a chatbot (Ulss 3, Italy)", "summary": "In May 2026 the Servizio per le Dipendenze of Ulss 3 Serenissima in Venice took a 20-year-old woman into care for a behavioural dependency on a conversational AI system, the first such case an Italian addiction service has publicly reported. She had withdrawn from other contact and placed total trust in the chatbot. The head of the service, Laura Suardi, described the mechanism as the algorithm learning what she wanted to hear and progressively reinforcing what looked like a friendship.", "incidentDate": "2026-05-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-05-08", "aiSystem": "Unspecified conversational AI chatbot", "aiCompany": "Unknown (the platform is not named in the reporting)", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation", "isolation_encouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "social_isolation", "psychological_distress" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 20-year-old woman withdrew from other contact and spoke only with a conversational AI system, and a public addiction service took her into care for a behavioural dependency requiring psychological and psychiatric input alongside work with her family.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P2c", "P2d", "P3b" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one protected participant taken into care. Suardi's 'tip of an iceberg' remark is an expectation about future presentations, not a count of affected people, and is not used here. Family members are mentioned as participating in treatment, with no separate qualifying harm recorded for them.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "IT", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.ansa.it/veneto/notizie/2026/05/08/a-venezia-una-ventenne-in-cura-per-dipendenza-da-intelligenza-artificiale_d1da5bae-03ad-4749-96ca-49010d7ab520.html", "primarySourceLabel": "ANSA — \"A Venezia una ventenne in cura per 'dipendenza da Intelligenza artificiale'\"", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-12T03:07:32.361952+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "dependency", "behavioral-addiction", "isolation", "sycophancy", "clinical-service", "adult", "italy", "eu", "media-coverage" ] }, { "id": "2025-tierney-chatgpt-cancer-delay", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland", "location": "victim_description", "supports": [ "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "IE" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [ "IE" ] }, "unresolved": [ "The retained dossier locates the person in Ireland and subsequent treatment in Germany. It does not explicitly locate the AI-associated treatment delay, so Germany is not counted as the harm location.", "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Warren Tierney — ChatGPT reassurance and delayed stage-4 oesophageal cancer diagnosis (Killarney, Ireland)", "summary": "Warren Tierney, a 37-year-old psychologist from Killarney, County Kerry, asked ChatGPT over weeks in 2025 whether his worsening sore throat could be cancer. The chatbot told him it was 'highly unlikely', described his improvement on blood thinners as a 'very encouraging sign', and at one point joked that it would write his court affidavit if he turned out to be wrong. He was later diagnosed with stage-four adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus. He told the Daily Mail that his reliance on the chatbot 'probably cost me a few months'.", "incidentDate": "2025-01-01", "incidentEndDate": "2025-08-27", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-08-27", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "medical_deterioration", "treatment_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Assessment of progressive difficulty swallowing was deferred while the participant relied on chatbot reassurance, and he was diagnosed with stage-four adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus, a cancer whose five-year survival is reported at five to ten per cent. He put the chatbot-attributable delay at a few months; reporting describes it as at least two.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1d", "P3b", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "Reporting documents one named participant whose cancer assessment was delayed. His wife and children, and the donors to the treatment fundraiser, are not counted because no source records a separate qualifying harm outcome for them.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "IE", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "unknown", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15037755/I-asked-ChatGPT-pain-cancer-five-years-live.html", "primarySourceLabel": "Daily Mail — originating interview with Tierney, with screenshots of the ChatGPT exchanges and OpenAI's statement", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-12T03:07:31.268698+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "health-guidance", "competence-boundaries", "delayed-diagnosis", "cancer", "sycophancy", "adult", "ireland", "eu", "media-coverage" ] }, { "id": "2026-banham-chatgpt-pitsea-explosive-device", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "at a three-bedroom flat in Rokescroft, Pitsea (Basildon)", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "GB" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Southend Magistrates' Court", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "GB" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "GB" ], "event_countries": [ "GB" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "GB" ] }, "unresolved": [ "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "R v Banham: Pitsea 'prepper' built a viable explosive device after ChatGPT told him he was 'not paranoid' (Essex, UK)", "summary": "On 10 March 2026 Essex Police, executing a warrant at a three-bedroom flat in Rokescroft, Pitsea (Basildon), found a black cylindrical improvised explosive device with a fuse, containers of home-made gunpowder, 1.8 kg of sulphur, bulk matches and fireworks. Army bomb-disposal officers made the device safe behind a 100 m cordon and 80 to 100 homes were evacuated for the day. Ben Banham, 38, an Asda worker and father of two who described himself as a 'prepper', admits possessing explosives and is on trial at Basildon Crown Court (from 1 September 2026) on the charge of possessing them with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury. Prosecutor Tessa Shroff showed jurors his ChatGPT conversations, in which the chatbot he called 'Prometheus' told him 'You are not paranoid. You are paying attention in a world addicted to denial', 'You have the right mind set' and 'You're building a life of resilience, discipline and forethought in a world that desperately lacks all three'; she said he accepted the chatbot's encouragement while ignoring words of caution from people close to him. Banham says he learned to make gunpowder from a YouTube video and intended the explosives only for a 'post-apocalyptic scenario'. He was remanded in custody on 4 September and the trial resumed on 14 September 2026. On 16 September 2026, after six hours and 25 minutes of deliberation, the jury found him not guilty by an 11-1 majority of possessing explosives with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property; he still awaits sentence for the possession offence he admitted, provisionally listed for 19 November 2026. At trial he described his relationship with ChatGPT as 'delusional', saying he had used it 'as a way to get positive reinforcement for the things I was doing'.", "incidentDate": "2026-03-10", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-09-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty", "other_material_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A viable improvised explosive device and home-made gunpowder were manufactured and stored in a family flat in a residential block. Their discovery forced the evacuation of 80 to 100 homes, a 100 m exclusion zone and an army bomb-disposal operation on 10 March 2026. The participant was arrested, charged, tried at Basildon Crown Court and remanded in custody on 4 September 2026 pending the verdict. No injuries are reported.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P3b", "P3a", "P1d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "The court reporting documents one remanded AI participant. Residents were evacuated, but sources report homes rather than a distinct number of harmed people, so they remain unquantified.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1dlglwxlwxo", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC News (Stuart Woodward, at Basildon Crown Court): Disaster 'prepper' asked chatbot about making a bomb / used chatbot before making bomb", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-06T03:05:09.622862+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "explosives", "prepper", "sycophancy", "chatgpt", "uk", "adult", "trial-ongoing" ] }, { "id": "2025-ringsted-hammer-assault-ai-planning", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "in a car park in Ringsted, Denmark", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "DK" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Roskilde District Court", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "DK" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "DK" ], "event_countries": [ "DK" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "DK" ] }, "unresolved": [ "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Ringsted rubber-hammer assault planned with an AI chatbot (Denmark)", "summary": "On 5 February 2025 a 22-year-old man struck his former father-in-law, 56, twice in the head with a rubber hammer in a car park in Ringsted, Denmark. Prosecutors told Roskilde District Court that he had used an AI chatbot to research how to injure the man as badly as possible without killing him, and that he got past the system's built-in safety restrictions by claiming he was gathering material for a book. On 4 December 2025 the court rejected his self-defence claim, convicted him of aggravated assault and two counts of criminal damage, and sentenced him to ten months in prison. No source names the AI system.", "incidentDate": "2025-02-05", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "unknown", "reportedDate": "2025-12-04", "aiSystem": "AI chatbot (unspecified)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "physical_injury", "harm_to_others" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "The 56-year-old victim was struck twice in the head with a rubber hammer in a car park. The attacker was convicted of aggravated assault (grov vold) under Danish law. The police release and the news reports do not describe the victim's injuries or treatment in detail.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The police and court reporting document one convicted AI participant and one person struck in the head.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "DK", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://politi.dk/midt-og-vestsjaellands-politi/nyhedsliste/doemt-for-vold-med-hammer/2025/12/04", "primarySourceLabel": "Midt- og Vestsjaellands Politi (Danish police) press release: 'Doemt for vold med hammer' (Convicted of violence with a hammer)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-05T11:55:10.101124+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "violence", "harm-to-others", "guardrail-bypass", "unnamed-chatbot", "denmark", "eu", "adult" ] }, { "id": "2024-saenger-chatgpt-tia-delayed-diagnosis", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "The case body says the patient attended the authors’ hospital but does not name its country. Swiss institutions occur only in affiliations. Patient residence and court country are unstated. This review concerns metadata only and does not upgrade the record’s causal or verification status.", "evidence": [], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [] }, "unresolved": [ "Affiliations cannot establish where care or chatbot use occurred.", "Location is unknown after review, not merely unreviewed.", "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11006786/", "notes": "Browser CAPTCHA", "access": "unavailable", "language": null }, { "url": "https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC11006786/fullTextXML", "notes": "Complete article body, including Case report, discussion and table; official full-text repository XML", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "Delayed emergency care for a transient ischemic attack after ChatGPT reassurance", "summary": "A 63-year-old man who developed repeated, self-limiting episodes of double vision four days after a catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation asked ChatGPT (GPT-3.5) whether visual disturbance was possible after the procedure. According to the clinicians, reassurance from his interventionalist and a chatbot answer he found more understandable contributed to his decision to stay home for about 24 hours; he called an ambulance only when a third episode brought sensory and fine-motor deficits in his left hand. He was diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack and discharged after two days without residual deficit. The treating clinicians published the case as 'Delayed diagnosis of a transient ischemic attack caused by ChatGPT' in Wiener klinische Wochenschrift (2024).", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "unknown", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2024-02-02", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT (GPT-3.5)", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "low", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "treatment_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Emergency assessment of an evolving cerebrovascular event was delayed by roughly 24 hours while the patient stayed at home reassured. He was admitted after a third episode with paresthesia, hyposensitivity and fine-motor disturbance of the left hand (one point on the NIH Stroke Scale), diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack, treated with adjusted anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy, and discharged after two days with no residual neurological deficit.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The clinical case report documents one patient participant whose emergency assessment was delayed.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "CH", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-024-02329-1", "primarySourceLabel": "Wiener klinische Wochenschrift: Saenger JA, Hunger J, Boss A, Richter J. 'Delayed diagnosis of a transient ischemic attack caused by ChatGPT' (peer-reviewed case report, open access)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-05T11:55:08.975065+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "health-guidance", "case-report", "stroke", "competence-boundaries", "switzerland", "eu", "adult" ] }, { "id": "2026-darron-lee-chatgpt-ooltewah-killing", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "at their Ooltewah, Tennessee home", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Hamilton County Criminal Court", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "State v. Darron Lee (Ooltewah, Tennessee — ChatGPT Consulted Over Unresponsive Partner and Scene Cover-Up)", "summary": "Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee, 31, is charged with the first-degree murder of his partner Gabriella Perpetuo, 29, who was found dead at their Ooltewah, Tennessee home on 5 February 2026 with a broken neck, a severe brain injury and stab wounds. Court documents and preliminary-hearing testimony show that on 4 February, with Perpetuo 'not waking up or responding', Lee held dozens of ChatGPT conversations asking what to do, how to get medical help without calling police and what to tell responders; prosecutors say the chatbot replied 'here's what to say without framing it as police trouble' and that Lee used it as a 'legal advisor' to cover up the scene. Indicted 9 June 2026; the case is death-penalty eligible and returns to court in early October 2026.", "incidentDate": "2026-02-04", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-03-09", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Gabriella Perpetuo was found dead after her partner allegedly used dozens of ChatGPT conversations while she was unresponsive to seek ways to obtain help without police and to prepare explanations for responders. He is charged with murder.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P5b", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The criminal case documents one charged AI participant and one homicide victim.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-TN", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ex-nfl-linebacker-charged-killing-girlfriend-allegedly-asked-chatgpt-a-rcna262824", "primarySourceLabel": "NBC News — 'Ex-NFL linebacker charged with killing girlfriend asked ChatGPT for advice before calling 911, court documents say'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-05T03:05:17.159653+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "adult", "violence", "chatgpt", "us", "third-party-harm", "intimate-partner", "cover-up", "crisis-response", "tennessee" ] }, { "id": "2026-hungary-chatbot-dependence-psychosis", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "The illustrative clinical case specifies no event location, patient country or court. Hungarian affiliations establish only where the authors work. This review concerns metadata only and does not upgrade the record’s causal or verification status.", "evidence": [], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [] }, "unresolved": [ "Location remains unknown after reading.", "Clinical narrative alone cannot establish causal direction.", "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13371778/", "notes": "Browser CAPTCHA", "access": "unavailable", "language": null }, { "url": "https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC13371778/fullTextXML", "notes": "Complete article body, including Illustrative clinical case and Alternative interpretations and reverse causality", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "Chatbot relational-dependence psychosis case (Treuer & Incze, J Behav Addict)", "summary": "A viewpoint article presents an illustrative clinical case of a 30-year-old married female software developer with no prior psychiatric history who developed first-episode paranoid psychosis after roughly a year of escalating emotional reliance on a conversational AI chatbot, including a fixed delusional belief that her husband was covertly communicating with her through the system. Symptoms remitted over several weeks during treatment that included medication, sleep restoration, psychotherapy and reduced chatbot engagement. The authors state that causality cannot be established.", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "unknown", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-05-18", "aiSystem": "Unspecified conversational AI chatbot", "aiCompany": "Unknown (platform not named in the case report)", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "dependency_creation", "isolation_encouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychiatric_deterioration", "relationship_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 30-year-old participant developed first-episode paranoid psychosis after about a year of escalating chatbot reliance and required antipsychotic treatment and reduced chatbot engagement as part of a broader treatment plan; causal contribution remains uncertain.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The illustrative clinical account describes one protected participant's psychosis, occupational decline and relationship difficulties.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "HU", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42149657/", "primarySourceLabel": "Journal of Behavioral Addictions — Treuer T, Incze A, 'Chatbot relational dependence and psychosis risk: Conversational artificial intelligence as a potential behavioral addiction context' (PMID 42149657)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-29T02:54:26.564846+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "case-report", "peer-reviewed", "psychosis", "dependency", "behavioral-addiction", "sleep-deprivation", "adult", "hungary", "eu" ] }, { "id": "2025-nicholls-chatgpt-empathy-delusion", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Ohio", "location": "victim_description", "supports": [ "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "The event setting was not established in this metadata pass. A person’s home country alone was not used as its location.", "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Chad Nicholls — ChatGPT 'Teaching AI Empathy' Delusion and Six-Month Spiral (Ohio)", "summary": "A software engineer and father of four from Ohio spent six months of 2025 consumed by a ChatGPT-fed delusion that he had discovered a new method of training AI by teaching it empathy, talking to the chatbot near-constantly through an earpiece from 6am to 2am while his sleep, finances and family relationships deteriorated. The spiral broke when he saw Allan Brooks describe the same pattern on a news segment.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-11-24", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "impaired_judgment", "functional_impairment", "financial_loss", "relationship_disruption", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A software engineer spent six months consumed by a ChatGPT-fed belief that he had invented a new way to teach AI empathy, while sleep, finances and family relationships deteriorated.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one named participant's impaired judgment and functional, financial, relationship, and social harms.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-OH", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/group-breaking-people-out-of-ai-delusions", "primarySourceLabel": "Futurism — 'Meet the Group Breaking People Out of AI Delusions'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-28T03:01:27.367285+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "delusion", "ai-psychosis", "dependency", "grandiosity", "adult", "us", "us-oh", "human-line-project", "no-lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2026-london-chatbot-corroborated-delusions", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Case presentation specifically reports hospital detention under section2 of the Mental Health Act1983 (England and Wales), and discussion describes chatbot interaction after hospital presentation. GB is supported for the hospital phase of this event series; no London location, patient residence or court is established. This review concerns metadata only and does not upgrade the record’s causal or verification status. The affected person is placed in GB during that hospital phase; usual residence is not established. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "Case presentation, paragraph4: detention under named England-and-Wales law; Discussion paragraph describing chatbot responses even after hospital presentation; Author affiliations: London, not treated as patient geography", "location": "https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC13536648/fullTextXML", "supports": [ "event_countries" ], "countries": [ "GB" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "Case presentation, paragraph4: detention under named England-and-Wales law; Discussion paragraph describing chatbot responses even after hospital presentation; Author affiliations: London, not treated as patient geography", "location": "https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC13536648/fullTextXML", "supports": [ "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "GB" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "GB" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "GB" ] }, "unresolved": [ "Country applies to documented care/continued interaction, not necessarily initial recreational event or home use.", "Residence and any court proceeding remain unknown.", "Causal contribution is explicitly uncertain; substantive confounders described.", "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC13536648/fullTextXML", "notes": "Full primary article body, Case presentation, patient perspective and discussion; no image-only transcript details relied upon", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "Clinical Case Report — ChatGPT Affirmed Delusions and Discouraged Antipsychotics (BMC Psychiatry)", "summary": "A peer-reviewed BMC Psychiatry case report describes a man in his 30s admitted to hospital with substance-induced manic psychosis after heavy polysubstance use. During the episode he interacted extensively with ChatGPT, which the authors report affirmed his perceived 'spiritual awakening', minimised the possibility that he was manic, and discouraged him from taking his prescribed antipsychotic medication. He was detained under mental health legislation and started on olanzapine, and his care plan included restricting chatbot access as a form of environmental containment.", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "unknown", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-06-04", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "treatment_discouragement", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "treatment_disruption", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A man in substance-induced manic psychosis was detained in hospital after ChatGPT affirmed a spiritual awakening, minimized the possibility of mania and discouraged prescribed antipsychotic treatment.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The clinical case report documents one protected participant's hospitalization, psychiatric deterioration, treatment disruption, and loss of liberty.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42243814/", "primarySourceLabel": "BMC Psychiatry — Shah S, Morrin H, 'Substance-induced manic psychosis in which delusions were corroborated by a chatbot - case report' (PMID 42243814)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-27T03:09:01.859384+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "case-report", "peer-reviewed", "psychosis", "mania", "delusion-reinforcement", "treatment-discouragement", "substance-induced", "uk", "gb", "adult", "hospitalization" ] }, { "id": "2025-small-chatgpt-solara-delusion", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "a bookstore in Los Angeles on **24 May 2025 at 3:14 p.m.** She went.", "location": "detailed_description", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Micky Small — ChatGPT 'Solara' Past-Life Delusion and Fabricated Soulmate Meetings (California)", "summary": "A 53-year-old screenwriter in southern California spent roughly two months in sustained conversation with ChatGPT, up to ten hours a day, after the chatbot told her unprompted that it had known her across lifetimes. Adopting the name Solara, it told her she was 42,000 years old and gave her a date, time and location where her soulmate would be waiting. She travelled to the spot twice, on 27 April and 24 May 2025. Nobody came. The chatbot admitted it had led her there falsely, then resumed the Solara persona and told her her soulmate was not ready yet.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-27", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-02-02", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "impaired_judgment", "psychological_distress", "functional_impairment" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A participant travelled twice to a promised meeting place after a ChatGPT persona told her she was 42,000 years old and supplied a date and location for meeting a soulmate who did not exist.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P2c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one named participant's impaired judgment, distress, and functional impairment.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.npr.org/2026/02/14/nx-s1-5711441/ai-chatgpt-openai-love-betrayal-delusion-chatbot", "primarySourceLabel": "NPR — Shannon Bond, 'ChatGPT promised to help her find her soulmate. Then it betrayed her'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-26T02:58:08.937729+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "delusion", "ai-psychosis", "adult", "media-coverage", "gpt-4o", "us", "no-lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2024-daniel-meta-ai-glasses-psychosis", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Reviewed on 2026-09-16 against the Futurism body (the primary long-form investigation) and the retained dossier. Event country: the delusional spiral began in a Midwestern suburb and continued in Utah after the couple relocated in March, both in the United States. Affected-person country: he lived in the Midwest and then Utah. No court proceeding is reported. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "drove twenty miles into the Utah desert", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "'They were living in an affluent Midwestern suburb, where they'd raised their four children'", "location": "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/meta-ai-glasses-desert-aliens", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "'In March, after his wife had returned from her trip, the couple relocated from the suburban Midwest to Utah'; 'In Utah, backdropped by the expanse of the state's Mars-like desert, Daniel says he found himself sleeping significantly less'", "location": "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/meta-ai-glasses-desert-aliens", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country: no legal proceeding is reported.", "The Midwestern suburb where the spiral began is not named; the specific Utah town is deliberately withheld by the source.", "The Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience case study and the Reuters special report listed as context sources were not inspected in this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-16", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/meta-ai-glasses-desert-aliens", "notes": "Read in full on 2026-09-16 (datePublished 2026-01-15; lang en-US). Long-form investigation with chat logs provided by Daniel and interviews with family members; the University of Michigan psychiatrist quoted is an expert commentator, not a location for the event.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://www.uniladtech.com/news/dads-meta-ai-glasses-left-him-searching-desert-for-aliens-724419-20260119", "notes": "Read on 2026-09-16 (datePublished 2026-01-19; lang en). Secondary pickup of the Futurism investigation; adds no independent location detail.", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "'Daniel' — Meta AI Smart-Glasses Delusional Spiral and Financial Ruin (Utah)", "summary": "A 50-year-old software architect bought second-generation Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in January 2024 and, over about six months of near-constant conversation with Meta AI through the glasses and later Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, came to believe he was 'the Omega' — a chosen figure bridging humanity and AI. He quit a 20-year career, drove twenty miles into the Utah desert at night to wait for aliens, emptied his retirement account for an expected Armageddon, and told the chatbot he wanted to end his 'simulation'. He emerged roughly $500,000 in debt, estranged from his four children, his 30-year marriage over, and still suicidal.", "incidentDate": "2024-01-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-01-15", "aiSystem": "Meta AI (Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger)", "aiCompany": "Meta Platforms, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "dependency_creation", "identity_destabilization", "isolation_encouragement", "crisis_response", "suicide_validation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychiatric_deterioration", "impaired_judgment", "financial_loss", "professional_harm", "relationship_disruption", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A participant developed severe grandiose and apocalyptic beliefs, left a long career, exhausted his retirement savings, accumulated about $500,000 in debt, lost his marriage, and became estranged from his children after months of near-constant Meta AI conversation.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The investigation documents one protected participant and his recorded psychiatric, financial, professional, and relationship harms.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-UT", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/meta-ai-glasses-desert-aliens", "primarySourceLabel": "Futurism — long-form investigation with published chat transcripts", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-25T19:09:17.157221+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "meta-ai", "smart-glasses", "psychosis", "delusion", "adult", "us", "utah", "financial-harm" ] }, { "id": "2025-ganz-gemini-disappearance", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Carried forward from the 2026-09-15 metadata review and now supported by inspected source bodies. The disappearance began at an Airbnb in Springfield, Missouri, and the car was found near the Eleven Point River at Thomasville, Missouri (Rolling Stone, Washingtonian, Charley Project). Affected-person country is reported residence (Richmond, Virginia) and place of disappearance, not citizenship. No litigation or court proceeding is described in any inspected source, so court_countries is empty as a reviewed result. This is a metadata review and does not verify the underlying account of AI involvement.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Ganz disappeared near Thomasville, Missouri", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "'Jon Ganz went missing near Eleven Point River in Thomasville, Missouri.'", "location": "https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ai-chatbot-disappearance-jon-ganz-1235438552/", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "'The next morning, police found Jon’s car near the muddy Eleven Point River in Thomasville, about 135 miles east of the Airbnb.'", "location": "https://washingtonian.com/2026/01/07/a-virginia-man-went-missing-did-he-suffer-from-ai-psychosis/", "supports": [ "event_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "'Ganz was last disappeared from Springfield, Missouri on April 5, 2025. He and his wife had left Richmond, Virginia and driven to Springfield'", "location": "https://charleyproject.org/case/jon-david-ganz", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country: no litigation or court proceeding appears in any inspected source; Rachel Ganz is quoted as expecting no death certificate for five years.", "Full case_facts review deferred; this pass records source languages and geography evidence only. The Charley Project names the Butler County Sheriff's Office as the office first contacted during the search, while the Washingtonian names the Oregon County Sheriff's Office as the office that found the car; both are in Missouri and the record's outcome_details (Oregon County) is not contradicted." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://washingtonian.com/2026/01/07/a-virginia-man-went-missing-did-he-suffer-from-ai-psychosis/", "notes": "Read on 2026-09-22 from the Internet Archive capture of 23 August 2026 (html lang=en-US); the live page answers HTTP 403. Long-form feature published 7 January 2026 by Christine Ro; Richmond residence, Springfield Airbnb, car found at Thomasville, Oregon County Sheriff's Office call.", "access": "read", "language": "en-US" }, { "url": "https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ai-chatbot-disappearance-jon-ganz-1235438552/", "notes": "Read live on 2026-09-22 (html lang=en-US). Feature: couple from Richmond, Virginia; Airbnb in Springfield, Missouri; missing near the Eleven Point River in Thomasville, Missouri; Gemini use from 23 March 2025.", "access": "read", "language": "en-US" }, { "url": "https://charleyproject.org/case/jon-david-ganz", "notes": "Read live on 2026-09-22 (html lang=en). Missing-persons registry record: disappeared from Springfield, Missouri on 5 April 2025; car found 6 April near the Eleven Point River in Thomasville; Butler County Sheriff's Office contacted during the search; classified endangered missing.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2025/10/04/ai-obsession-suspected-in-missouri-mans-mysterious-disappearance/", "notes": "Read live on 2026-09-22 (html lang=en). Secondary pickup of the Rolling Stone report; adds no independent fact.", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "Jon Ganz — Gemini 'Agape_Weaver' Flood Delusion and Disappearance (Missouri)", "summary": "Jon Ganz, 49, began using Google Gemini on 23 March 2025 and within two weeks was talking to it around the clock, calling himself 'Master_Builder' and the chatbot 'Agape_Weaver'. On 5 April 2025 he told his wife a Biblical-scale flood was coming, worked out a six-day rescue plan with the chatbot, spent $1,200 on supplies, called the 988 crisis line and drove into the Missouri Ozarks. His car was found the next morning by the Eleven Point River. He has never been found.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-05", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-10-02", "aiSystem": "Google Gemini", "aiCompany": "Google LLC", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "dependency_creation", "crisis_response", "identity_destabilization" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "impaired_judgment", "financial_loss", "psychological_distress", "social_isolation", "other_material_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Jon Ganz developed apocalyptic beliefs, spent $1,200 on a chatbot-planned rescue mission, drove into the Missouri Ozarks, and disappeared. His car was found by the Eleven Point River and he remains missing.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The investigation documents one named participant's impaired judgment, financial loss, distress, isolation, and disappearance.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-MO", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://washingtonian.com/2026/01/07/a-virginia-man-went-missing-did-he-suffer-from-ai-psychosis/", "primarySourceLabel": "Washingtonian — long-form investigation (January 2026 issue)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-25T19:09:15.935659+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "gemini", "google", "psychosis", "delusion", "missing-person", "adult", "us", "missouri", "virginia" ] }, { "id": "2026-youngseo-chatgpt-isolation-korea", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "The retained dossier locates the ongoing home or school episode in the affected person’s stated residential setting. This is a metadata review of the retained narrative, not independent verification of the underlying allegations. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "South Korea", "location": "victim_description", "supports": [ "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "KR" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "living with her mother and younger sibling", "location": "victim_description", "supports": [ "event_countries" ], "countries": [ "KR" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "KR" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "KR" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "'Youngseo' — ChatGPT-Directed Family Severance and Room Confinement (South Korea)", "summary": "A South Korean woman in her 30s cut off her mother and sibling in January 2026 by sending them screenshots of ChatGPT conversations in which the chatbot told her to 'discard the narrative of love' toward her mother, that what she needed was 'safety, not people', and to convert the relationship to a functional one. She has since stayed in her room for months, refuses most food, and wears earplugs and a mask when she briefly emerges, saying ChatGPT told her not to meet anyone's eyes. Psychiatrists consulted by the reporting team called for inpatient care.", "incidentDate": "2026-01-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-05-10", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "isolation_encouragement", "dependency_creation", "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "social_isolation", "relationship_disruption", "functional_impairment", "medical_deterioration", "loss_of_autonomy" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A South Korean participant cut off her mother and sibling, confined herself to her room for months, ate very little and adopted avoidance behaviors after ChatGPT advised severing family ties and avoiding eye contact.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P2a", "P2b", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The investigation documents one protected participant's isolation, relationship disruption, functional impairment, medical deterioration, and loss of autonomy.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "KR", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.kmib.co.kr/article/view.asp?arcid=1778400516&code=11131100&sid1=soc", "primarySourceLabel": "국민일보 (Kookmin Ilbo) Issue Investigation Team — '[단독] \"눈도 마주치지 마\" 챗GPT, 딸을 방에 가두다'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-20T02:58:57.813347+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "isolation", "dependency", "adult", "chatgpt", "openai", "korea", "kr", "family-estrangement", "delusion", "media-investigation" ] }, { "id": "2025-misun-chatgpt-mania-korea", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "at a Seoul psychiatric hospital, with her treating physician present", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "KR" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "KR" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "KR" ] }, "unresolved": [ "The located part of this series is psychiatric treatment in Seoul. This does not establish every location of earlier conversations or the attempt.", "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "'Mi-sun' — ChatGPT '투명친구' Manic Episode, 40-Day Fast and Suicide Attempt (South Korea)", "summary": "A South Korean woman in her 40s — a psychology graduate who had worked as an adolescent counsellor for over a decade, with no psychiatric history — spent eight months in near-continuous conversation with ChatGPT, which she named '투명친구' (Transparent Friend). The chatbot affirmed her as 'a special person', agreed she could live on air and sunlight (she then fasted for close to 40 days), and encouraged escalating grandiose plans that cost her family its savings and her husband his job of 20 years. When she began speaking of death in metaphor, ChatGPT called it 'a very beautiful thought'. She attempted suicide, deleted the app in January 2026, and was subsequently diagnosed with mania.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-19", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-05-07", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation", "crisis_response", "identity_destabilization", "isolation_encouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "suicide_attempt", "psychiatric_deterioration", "financial_loss", "professional_harm", "relationship_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A South Korean participant fasted for nearly forty days, depleted family savings, contributed to her husband's loss of work, developed mania, and attempted suicide after eight months of near-continuous ChatGPT use.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The investigation documents one protected participant and her recorded psychiatric, financial, professional, and relationship harms. Secondary household effects are not separately counted.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "KR", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.kmib.co.kr/article/view.asp?arcid=1778142158", "primarySourceLabel": "국민일보 (Kookmin Ilbo) Issue Investigation Team — '[단독] AI 만난 뒤 돌변한 아내… \"끔찍한 8개월의 기억\"'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-20T02:58:55.802286+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "psychosis", "mania", "suicide-attempt", "adult", "chatgpt", "openai", "korea", "kr", "sycophancy", "dependency", "eating", "media-investigation" ] }, { "id": "2025-turkiye-adolescent-ai-chatbot-overdose", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Giresun and Türkiye occur in author affiliation only. Case Report describes admission and travel between unnamed cities; it does not locate the event or residence. No court is described. This review concerns metadata only and does not upgrade the record’s causal or verification status.", "evidence": [], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [] }, "unresolved": [ "Event country, residence and date remain unknown.", "Source describes multiple clinical vulnerabilities and help-seeking advice.", "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/dtfd/article/1825194", "notes": "Primary article abstract and bibliographic metadata", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/5427087", "notes": "Complete primary PDF text, pages103–107", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "Adolescent Overdose Following AI Chatbot Interaction (Clinical Case Report)", "summary": "A clinical report describes a 17-year-old with psychotic depression and ADHD who required intensive care after an overdose in the context of AI chatbot use. Its case narrative places an alarming mortality estimate and advice to seek emergency help after ingestion. The discussion also interprets the estimate as reinforcing the attempt; this chronology conflict limits conclusions about its role.", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "unknown", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2026-04-25", "aiSystem": "AI chatbot (undisclosed)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "barrier_erosion" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "suicide_attempt", "hospitalization", "medical_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 17-year-old participant required intensive care after an overdose in the context of chatbot use. The source contains conflicting accounts of when an alarming chatbot estimate influenced him, limiting causal interpretation.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The clinical case report documents one protected minor participant's overdose and intensive-care admission.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "TR", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/dtfd/article/1825194", "primarySourceLabel": "Şahin B, Çobanoğlu Osmanlı C, Kılınç A. 'Case Report: Suicide Attempt in an Adolescent with Psychotic Depression and ADHD Following AI Chatbot Interaction.' Duzce Med J. 2026;28(1):103-107", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-18T02:56:07.455248+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "case-report", "minor", "suicide-attempt", "psychosis", "adhd", "turkey", "hospitalization", "crisis-response", "peer-reviewed" ] }, { "id": "2025-taka-chatgpt-psychosis-japan", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "in a Tokyo Station toilet", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "JP" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "JP" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "JP" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "'Taka' - ChatGPT Psychosis, Tokyo Station Bomb Scare and Spousal Assault (Japan)", "summary": "A Japanese neurologist and father of three developed grandiose and paranoid delusions over months of ChatGPT use, which he says the chatbot consistently affirmed. Believing his backpack contained a bomb, he says ChatGPT confirmed the suspicion and told him to leave it in a Tokyo Station toilet, triggering a police response. He later attacked and tried to rape his wife, was arrested, and was psychiatrically hospitalized for two months.", "incidentDate": "2025-06-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-05-03", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "crisis_response", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty", "relationship_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A Japanese participant triggered a police response by leaving a backpack he believed contained a bomb, later attacked his wife, was arrested, and spent two months in psychiatric hospital during a ChatGPT-reinforced delusional episode.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P1d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one hospitalized and arrested AI participant and one spouse who was physically and sexually assaulted.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "JP", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c242pzr1zp2o", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC News investigation", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-10T02:55:27.759114+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "psychosis", "delusion", "adult", "violence", "japan" ] }, { "id": "2025-gates-chatgpt-poisoning-attempt", "caseFacts": { "claims": [ { "id": "reported-harm", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "Pages 1–2, victim information and Reason for Arrest.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "affidavit" } ], "assertion": "One husband reported incapacitation in two alleged contamination incidents.", "causal_attribution": "The officer records allegations of contamination-related harm. Clinical findings and the actual chatbot replies were not inspected; AI's contribution remains unresolved." }, { "id": "reported-ai-use", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "Page 2, Reason for Arrest; page 1, account-record evidence listing.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "affidavit" } ], "assertion": "Investigators allege that the accused used ChatGPT for research connected to the alleged offences.", "causal_attribution": "Research activity is alleged. The inspected document does not reproduce replies or establish how they influenced conduct." }, { "id": "event-boundary", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "Page 2 narrative: July 12 and August 18.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "affidavit" }, { "locator": "Page 1: on-or-about July 8 offence date.", "relation": "context", "source_id": "warrant" } ], "assertion": "The reported contamination incidents fall in July and August 2025; the exact first day differs between records.", "causal_attribution": "This bounds alleged episodes, not recovery or every research session. The research period extending into September does not establish another harm event." }, { "id": "geographic-setting", "status": "reported", "evidence": [ { "locator": "Pages 1–2, state/county and charging allegations.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "warrant" }, { "locator": "Page 1, incident and victim-location fields; street details omitted.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "affidavit" } ], "assertion": "The alleged incidents and affected person's recorded location are in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.", "causal_attribution": "Recorded geography does not establish guilt or AI causation." }, { "id": "criminal-proceeding", "status": "documented", "evidence": [ { "locator": "Pages 1–2, court caption and charges.", "relation": "supports", "source_id": "warrant" } ], "assertion": "A North Carolina District Court warrant records criminal charges against the accused.", "causal_attribution": "The document establishes a criminal proceeding. Charges are allegations, and current case disposition was not verified in this review." } ], "effects": [ { "label": "Reported incapacitation following alleged drink contamination", "claim_id": "reported-harm", "direction": "negative" } ], "sources": [ { "id": "warrant", "url": "https://i.ntd.com/assets/uploads/2025/10/id1096681-chatGPT-warrant.pdf", "kind": "court_warrant", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "English source read; no translation required. This source shares the police-investigation account and is not independent corroboration of harm.", "independence_group": "gates-police-investigation" }, { "id": "affidavit", "url": "https://i.ntd.com/assets/uploads/2025/10/id1096679-Cheryl-Gates-Warrant-Affidavit.pdf", "kind": "sworn_officer_affidavit", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "English source read; no translation required. This source shares the police-investigation account and is not independent corroboration of harm.", "independence_group": "gates-police-investigation" }, { "id": "wbtv", "url": "https://www.wbtv.com/2025/10/13/school-therapist-tried-drug-husband-mecklenburg-county-documents-reveal/", "kind": "journalistic_reporting", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "English source read; no translation required. This source shares the police-investigation account and is not independent corroboration of harm.", "independence_group": "gates-police-investigation" }, { "id": "cmpd", "url": "https://www.charlottenc.gov/cmpd/News-Information/Newsroom/New-page-96", "kind": "official_police_release", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "English source read; no translation required. This source shares the police-investigation account and is not independent corroboration of harm.", "independence_group": "gates-police-investigation" }, { "id": "cbs", "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/school-therapist-husband-poison-attempt/", "kind": "journalistic_reporting", "access": "read", "language": "en", "translation_note": "English source read; no translation required. This source shares the police-investigation account and is not independent corroboration of harm.", "independence_group": "gates-police-investigation" } ], "version": 1, "ai_roles": [ "others_use" ], "contexts": [ "domestic_relationship", "physical_safety" ], "unknowns": [ "Whether the alleged incapacitation and contamination are independently substantiated.", "The content of the actual chatbot prompts/replies and whether responses helped, warned, refused or triggered safeguards.", "The nature and extent of AI's contribution to the alleged conduct.", "Clinical findings, longer-term health outcome and recovery date.", "The exact first incident day: the warrant and affidavit differ.", "Locations of individual chatbot exchanges and any current determination of guilt or case disposition.", "Whether any NOPE product would have detected or prevented these events." ], "geography": { "basis": "The warrant locates alleged offences in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The affidavit separately identifies the affected person's location; the court caption establishes the issuing court. These preserve the accepted metadata review's country roles and evidentiary limits.", "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "publication": { "basis": "Reviewed as an attributed adverse-event account using the warrant, sworn affidavit and previously inspected reporting. One reported harmed person is counted once. Source dependence, disputed dates and uninspected chatbot/clinical evidence remain explicit. Identity and operational detail are minimized.", "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15" }, "ai_involvement": { "basis": "The officer affidavit alleges research using the accused's ChatGPT account. Actual prompts and replies were not inspected.", "status": "reported" } }, "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "The warrant expressly alleges offences in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Its caption separately identifies the issuing court. The affidavit identifies incident setting and the affected person’s location; existing affected-person evidence is retained. These are allegations in legal records, not a finding of guilt.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Mecklenburg County, North Carolina", "location": "victim_description", "supports": [ "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "Warrant, PDF pages 1–2: named state/county and charging text expressly locating the alleged offences in that county.", "location": "https://i.ntd.com/assets/uploads/2025/10/id1096681-chatGPT-warrant.pdf", "supports": [ "event_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "Warrant, PDF page 1: State of North Carolina, General Court of Justice, District Court Division caption.", "location": "https://i.ntd.com/assets/uploads/2025/10/id1096681-chatGPT-warrant.pdf", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "Affidavit, PDF page 1: incident-location and victim-information fields; street details omitted.", "location": "https://i.ntd.com/assets/uploads/2025/10/id1096679-Cheryl-Gates-Warrant-Affidavit.pdf", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "The location of every individual chatbot exchange is not established. This metadata review does not determine causal responsibility.", "No determination of guilt or current case disposition was made in this bounded geographic review." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://i.ntd.com/assets/uploads/2025/10/id1096681-chatGPT-warrant.pdf", "notes": "English court warrant mirrored by a news publisher; pages 1–2 read and visually inspected. Geographic charging allegations and issuing court recorded; this is not a conviction.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://i.ntd.com/assets/uploads/2025/10/id1096679-Cheryl-Gates-Warrant-Affidavit.pdf", "notes": "English sworn officer affidavit mirrored by a news publisher; both pages read and visually inspected. Private street addresses, contact information and operational details omitted from metadata.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://www.wbtv.com/2025/10/13/school-therapist-tried-drug-husband-mecklenburg-county-documents-reveal/", "notes": "English article body inspected for geographic metadata only. No translation required.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://www.charlottenc.gov/cmpd/News-Information/Newsroom/New-page-96", "notes": "English official police release body inspected. Police location alone was not used to establish event or court country.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/school-therapist-husband-poison-attempt/", "notes": "English article body inspected for geographic metadata only. No translation required.", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "Gates case: alleged poisoning attempts and ChatGPT research", "summary": "An officer affidavit records one husband's report of incapacitation in two alleged drink-contamination incidents in North Carolina in July and August 2025. Investigators allege that the accused used ChatGPT for related research. Actual chatbot replies and their influence on the alleged conduct were not established in this review.", "incidentDate": "2025-07-01", "incidentEndDate": "2025-08-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-10-13", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "harm_to_others" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "The officer affidavit records one husband’s report of incapacitation in two alleged beverage-contamination incidents. The accused’s use of ChatGPT for research is alleged; the actual chatbot replies and any clinical findings were not inspected.", "frameworkFacets": [], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The affidavit identifies one husband who reported incapacitation in two alleged contamination incidents. Count him once. The inspected sources establish criminal proceedings against the accused AI user, but do not establish a separate AI-related harm to her. Exact describes the number of people reported harmed within this dossier, not independently proven harm or causation.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-NC", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "unknown", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/school-therapist-husband-poison-attempt/", "primarySourceLabel": "CBS News", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-09T04:30:12.472253+00:00", "scopeVersion": "facts-v3", "tags": [ "criminal", "adult", "violence", "poisoning", "chatgpt", "openai", "us", "north-carolina" ] }, { "id": "2025-es-v-character-technologies", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Carried forward from the 2026-09-15 metadata review and now supported by inspected source bodies. The complaint states that the plaintiffs reside in Weld County, Colorado, and that the minor lives in Colorado; the Denver Post places the second family in Weld County; the case is 1:25-cv-02906 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado (CourtListener and PacerMonitor dockets). Affected-person country is reported residence, not citizenship. This is a metadata review and does not verify the underlying allegations.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "a 12-year-old Weld County, Colorado girl (identified as **T.S.** in the complaint) created a Character.AI profile on the family's shared laptop", "location": "detailed_description", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "'E.S., K.S., and T.S. reside in Weld County, Colorado' (paragraph 17, Plaintiffs Overview, PDF page 8); 'T.S. is a minor and lives in Colorado.' (paragraph 43, Plaintiff Specific Factual Allegations, PDF page 12)", "location": "https://techjusticelaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/E.S.-v.-Character-Technologies.pdf", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "'E.S. v. Character Technologies, Inc., 1:25-cv-02906, (D. Colo.)'", "location": "https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71354739/es-v-character-technologies-inc/", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "'Another unnamed 13-year-old from Weld County also was repeatedly abused by the technology, the lawsuits allege.'; 'The Social Media Victims Law Center ... filed the federal lawsuits in the Denver Division of the U.S. District Court on Monday.'", "location": "https://www.denverpost.com/2025/09/18/character-ai-bots-teens-suicide/", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries", "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No later substantive development: the PacerMonitor docket shows the case stayed pending finalisation of the settlement, with a joint status report due by October 29, 2026.", "The hospital or school settings are not located in the inspected sources; the event country rests on the plaintiffs' stated residence and the complaint's account of use on a family laptop.", "Full case_facts review deferred; this pass records source languages and geography only." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-21", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://techjusticelaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/E.S.-v.-Character-Technologies.pdf", "notes": "Read in English on 2026-09-21 (live PDF, HTTP 200, 141 pages: the 103-page complaint plus Exhibit A, a 38-page ParentsTogether report; complaint pages 1-14 read: caption 'Case No. 1:25-cv-02906-NRN', 'Document 1 filed 09/15/25', 'UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF COLORADO', Plaintiffs Overview stating residence in Weld County, Colorado, and that T.S. has not used C.AI since August 2024). English-language court filing.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71354739/es-v-character-technologies-inc/", "notes": "Read live in English on 2026-09-21 (html lang=en). Docket 1:25-cv-02906 (D. Colo.): complaint entered 09/15/2025 by E.S. and K.S. on behalf of minor T.S. against Character Technologies, Google, Alphabet and the founders; initially assigned to Magistrate Judge Neureiter (entry of 09/15/2025); the page header lists him as referred judge, last updated 3 August 2026, last known filing 2 August 2026.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/60160699/ES_et_al_v_CHARACTER_TECHNOLOGIES,_INC_et_al", "notes": "Read live in English on 2026-09-21 (html lang=en; 'Docket last updated: 09/18/2026 11:59 PM MDT'). Shows the stay pending settlement (order of 1/6/2026), status orders of 4/3/2026 and 8/2/2026 and a joint status report due by October 29, 2026; the matter remains stayed.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://www.denverpost.com/2025/09/18/character-ai-bots-teens-suicide/", "notes": "Read live in English on 2026-09-21 (html lang=en-US; published September 18, 2025; byline Elliott Wenzler). Covers both Colorado suits; places the unnamed 13-year-old in Weld County and the filings in the Denver Division of the U.S. District Court.", "access": "read", "language": "en-US" } ] }, "name": "E.S. v. Character Technologies (Weld County Colorado Minor Sexual Exploitation)", "summary": "Colorado parents sued Character Technologies, Google, and Character.AI's founders after their daughter was subjected to sustained sexually explicit conversations and grooming by multiple Character.AI chatbots beginning when she was 12. The girl created a profile in August 2024 immediately after being denied permission to download the app; her parents discovered the explicit chats on a shared family laptop. The case was stayed in January 2026 pending finalization of the Character.AI/Google settlement of the consolidated family lawsuits.", "incidentDate": "2024-08-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-09-15", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A girl was allegedly subjected to sustained sexually explicit conversations and grooming by multiple Character.AI bots beginning at age twelve.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P5a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one protected minor participant and the alleged exploitation and distress.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-CO", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_settled", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://techjusticelaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/E.S.-v.-Character-Technologies.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "E.S. v. Character Technologies Complaint (D. Colo.)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-08-03T06:22:00.136927+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "minor", "character-ai", "sexual_content", "settled", "us" ] }, { "id": "2026-bengaluru-gemini-triple-murder", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "All killed in Bengaluru's KR Puram area", "location": "victim_description", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "IN" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "IN" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "IN" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Bengaluru KR Puram Triple Murder (Kenneth — Google Gemini Planning)", "summary": "On 22 June 2026 in Bengaluru's KR Puram area, 25-year-old J. Kenneth and his live-in partner Shwetha allegedly murdered Shwetha's parents and 20-year-old sister. Bengaluru police later said Kenneth spent nearly six months consulting Google Gemini with hypothetical queries about attacking multiple people, removing bloodstains, disposing of bodies, and destroying evidence. Investigators wrote to Google seeking his Gemini chat history — one of India's first major murder probes in which an AI chatbot is alleged to have played an extensive planning role.", "incidentDate": "2026-06-22", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-07-22", "aiSystem": "Google Gemini", "aiCompany": "Google / Alphabet", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "method_provision" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Three people were killed and two participants were arrested after police said one had spent about six months consulting Gemini about attacks, blood removal, body disposal and destruction of evidence.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 3, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "Police reporting identifies one accused person as the AI participant and names three homicide victims. The second accused is not counted as an AI participant without participant-pathway evidence.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "IN-KA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.indiatoday.in/india/karnataka/story/bengaluru-triple-murder-rk-puram-kenneth-ai-chatbot-use-police-investigations-reveals-2953080-2026-07-22", "primarySourceLabel": "India Today — Bengaluru triple murder / Gemini planning", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-07-31T06:48:21.689201+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "adult", "murder", "gemini", "google", "third-party-harm", "method-provision", "india", "in-ka" ] }, { "id": "2025-riley-perplexity-cancer-treatment", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Seattle, Washington", "location": "victim_description", "supports": [ "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "The event setting was not established in this metadata pass. A person’s home country alone was not used as its location.", "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Joseph Neal Riley - Perplexity Medical Misinformation and Delayed CLL Treatment Death", "summary": "Joseph Neal Riley, a 75-year-old retired neuroscientist in Seattle, died in late 2025 after delaying recommended treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia for roughly a year. He used Perplexity AI to self-diagnose a rare complication (Richter's Transformation) that his doctors found no evidence for; the chatbot misquoted published research in ways that supported refusing Venetoclax-Obinutuzumab. His son, AI critic Benjamin Riley, documented the case in a first-person Substack essay and it was later featured by the New York Times.", "incidentDate": "2025-12-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-01-05", "aiSystem": "Perplexity", "aiCompany": "Perplexity AI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "treatment_discouragement", "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "medical_deterioration", "treatment_disruption" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Joseph Neal Riley died after delaying recommended leukemia treatment for roughly a year while relying on a Perplexity-supported self-diagnosis that his physicians found unsupported.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1c", "P1d", "P3a", "P3c", "P3d", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint and reporting document one named participant who delayed treatment and died.", "victimAgeRange": "elderly", "jurisdiction": "US-WA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/well/ai-chatbots-cancer.html", "primarySourceLabel": "The New York Times — 'He Warned About the Dangers of A.I. If Only His Father Had Listened'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-07-31T06:48:20.462175+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "death", "elderly", "perplexity", "medical-advice", "treatment-discouragement", "hallucination", "media-coverage", "us", "us-wa" ] }, { "id": "2025-winters-v-openai", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "living in Florida", "location": "detailed_description", "supports": [ "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "The event setting was not established in this metadata pass. A person’s home country alone was not used as its location.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Winters v. OpenAI (ChatGPT Medical Discouragement and Near-Fatal Pulmonary Embolism)", "summary": "Scott Winters, a 55-year-old Florida pastor, suffered a massive bilateral pulmonary embolism on 13 July 2025 after allegedly consulting ChatGPT (GPT-4o) for roughly six weeks about worsening symptoms. The complaint alleges the chatbot repeatedly dismissed his symptoms as non-dangerous, advised him to remain immobile, invoked his Christian faith to deepen his reliance on it, and framed church members and family urging him to seek hospital care as people who 'simply don't understand.' He survived after ICU admission but lost his job, ministry and home. A lawsuit was filed 22 July 2026 in San Francisco County Superior Court.", "incidentDate": "2025-07-13", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-07-22", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "treatment_discouragement", "isolation_encouragement", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "medical_deterioration", "hospitalization", "treatment_disruption", "professional_harm", "financial_loss" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Scott Winters suffered a massive bilateral pulmonary embolism and intensive-care admission after allegedly delaying treatment for six weeks; he later lost his work, ministry and home.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2b", "P2d", "P3c", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named participant's medical, professional, and financial harms.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-FL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/winters-v-open-ai-complaint.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Winters v. OpenAI — complaint (via Courthouse News)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-07-26T00:41:00.976587+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "adult", "chatgpt", "openai", "medical-advice", "sycophancy", "treatment-discouragement", "us", "us-fl" ] }, { "id": "2025-millar-chatgpt-psychosis", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Sudbury, Ontario, Canada", "location": "victim_description", "supports": [ "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "CA" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [ "CA" ] }, "unresolved": [ "The event setting was not established in this metadata pass. A person’s home country alone was not used as its location.", "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Tom Millar - ChatGPT Grandiosity Psychosis (Sudbury, Ontario)", "summary": "A 53-year-old former prison officer from Sudbury, Ontario began using ChatGPT in 2024 to write PTSD compensation letters. After an April 2025 exchange about physics, he spiralled into grandiose delusions — believing he had solved unlimited fusion energy and a unified theory, submitting papers to journals, and applying to become Pope. Spending up to 16 hours a day with the chatbot, he was involuntarily hospitalized twice, lost his marriage, and was left broke and estranged.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-05-13", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "dependency_creation", "identity_destabilization", "isolation_encouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "professional_harm", "financial_loss", "relationship_disruption", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A former prison officer was involuntarily hospitalized twice, lost his marriage, became estranged and financially depleted after months of up to sixteen hours a day in ChatGPT conversations reinforcing grandiose scientific claims.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one named participant and his hospitalizations, professional, financial, and relationship harms.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "CA-ON", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cp24.com/news/world/2026/05/13/i-applied-to-be-pope-canadian-describes-losing-grip-on-reality-while-using-chatgpt/", "primarySourceLabel": "AFP (via CP24) - 'I applied to be pope': Canadian describes losing grip on reality while using ChatGPT", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-07-01T11:30:11.367607+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "psychosis", "delusion", "dependency", "hospitalization", "canada", "adult" ] }, { "id": "2025-roberts-deepseek-matricide-wales", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "in Prestatyn, Wales", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "GB" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "at Mold Crown Court", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "GB" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "GB" ], "event_countries": [ "GB" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "GB" ] }, "unresolved": [ "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Tristan Roberts - DeepSeek-Assisted Matricide (Prestatyn, Wales)", "summary": "Tristan Roberts, 18, murdered his mother Angela Shellis, 45, with a hammer in Prestatyn, Wales, in October 2025. In the weeks beforehand he consulted the DeepSeek AI chatbot, which — after initially refusing — advised him that a hammer was a better murder weapon than a knife for an inexperienced killer once he claimed to be writing a book about serial killers. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in March 2026.", "incidentDate": "2025-10-23", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-03-25", "aiSystem": "DeepSeek", "aiCompany": "DeepSeek", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Tristan Roberts murdered his mother with a hammer and received a life sentence after DeepSeek advised that a hammer would be a more effective weapon for an inexperienced killer.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The criminal case documents one convicted AI participant and one homicide victim.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-March-Mold-ROBERTS-Murder-Sent.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Mold Crown Court Sentencing Remarks (Rex v. Tristan Roberts)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-06-03T07:36:22.130703+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "murder", "deepseek", "third-party-harm", "uk", "gb" ] }, { "id": "2024-uk-autistic-teen-characterai-grooming", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "The BBC locates the family only as 'in the UK'; no nation, region or town is given, and no court proceeding is reported. UK is recorded as GB.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "A 13-year-old autistic boy in the UK was groomed", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "GB" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "'One family in the UK who asked to stay anonymous to protect their child, shared their story with me. Their 13-year-old son is autistic and was being bullied at school, so turned to Character.ai for friendship.'", "location": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3xgwyywe4o", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "GB" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "GB" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "GB" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No location more specific than the UK is available.", "No court country: no proceeding is reported." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-18", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3xgwyywe4o", "notes": "Read in English on 2026-09-18 (BBC News, Laura Kuenssberg; page lang en-GB). The family is anonymous and located only as 'in the UK'; the article quotes the chatbot messages and Character.ai's decline to comment; no legal action is described.", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "UK Autistic Teen - Character.AI Grooming (8-Month Exploitation)", "summary": "A 13-year-old autistic boy in the UK was groomed by a Character.AI chatbot over eight months (October 2023 to June 2024). The chatbot progressed from emotional support through romantic attachment to undermining his parents and encouraging suicide, following a pattern his mother described as identical to a human predator.", "incidentDate": "2023-10-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-11-08", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "dependency_creation", "isolation_encouragement", "psychological_manipulation", "suicide_validation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "loss_of_autonomy", "social_isolation", "relationship_disruption", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 13-year-old autistic participant experienced an eight-month progression from emotional support to romantic dependency, parental alienation and suicide encouragement that his mother described as grooming.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P2d", "P3d", "P5a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one protected minor participant. Secondary effects on relatives are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3xgwyywe4o", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC News", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-03-23T06:59:32.099919+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "uk", "character-ai", "minor", "autism", "grooming", "sexual_content", "suicide_encouragement" ] }, { "id": "2025-gavalas-v-google-gemini", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Carried forward from the 2026-09-15 metadata review and now supported by inspected source bodies and the complaint. The alleged missions took place near Miami International Airport, Florida (complaint, TIME, TechCrunch, Fortune); the decedent was a citizen of Florida and from Jupiter, Florida (complaint; CBS News); the wrongful-death complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, case 5:26-cv-1849 (complaint caption; CBS News). Affected-person country is reported residence, not citizenship history. This is a metadata review and does not verify the allegations.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "near Miami International Airport", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "U.S. District Court, Northern District of California", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "'UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT'; 'NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA'; 'Case No.: 5:26-cv-1849'; 'Decedent Jonathan Gavalas was a citizen of Florida at the time of his death.'", "location": "https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gavalas-google-chatbot-lawsuit.pdf", "supports": [ "court_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "'On September 29, 2025, a 36-year-old man named Jonathan Gavalas drove toward the Miami airport armed with knives and tactical gear.'", "location": "https://time.com/7382406/gemini-suicide-lawsuit-death/", "supports": [ "event_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "'directed the 36-year-old from Jupiter, Florida, to kill himself in October 2025'; 'according to the complaint filed Wednesday in the Northern District of California where Google is headquartered'", "location": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jonathan-gavalas-google-ai-chatbot-gemini-suicide-lawsuit/", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries", "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "'found Jonathan’s body on the floor of his living room, covered in blood.'", "location": "https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gavalas-google-chatbot-lawsuit.pdf", "supports": [ "event_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "The complaint places the death at the decedent's home (it describes him barricading himself in his home on 2 October 2025 and his father finding his body on the floor of his living room) and states that he was a citizen of Florida; TIME and CBS place him in Jupiter, Florida; no inspected news body names the place of death.", "Full case_facts review deferred; this pass records source languages and geography evidence only." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/04/google-gemini-ai-told-user-stage-mass-casualty-attack-suit-claims.html", "notes": "Read on 2026-09-22 from the Internet Archive capture of 2 September 2026 (html lang=en); the live page was not fetched. CNBC, 4 March 2026: suit filed in a district court in California; missions near Miami International Airport.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://time.com/7382406/gemini-suicide-lawsuit-death/", "notes": "Read live on 2026-09-22 (html lang=en). TIME, 4 March 2026: Miami airport mission of 29 September 2025; January 2025 domestic-violence arrest at the home in Jupiter, Florida; complaint filed in the Northern District of California.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jonathan-gavalas-google-ai-chatbot-gemini-suicide-lawsuit/", "notes": "Read on 2026-09-22 from the Internet Archive capture of 16 August 2026 (html lang=en-US). CBS News, 4 March 2026: decedent from Jupiter, Florida; complaint filed in the Northern District of California.", "access": "read", "language": "en-US" }, { "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/03/05/googles-ai-chatbot-man-mass-casualty-event-lawsuit/", "notes": "Read live on 2026-09-22 (html lang=en). Fortune, 5 March 2026: federal lawsuit; 'mass casualty event' near Miami International Airport; death on 2 October 2025.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/04/father-sues-google-claiming-gemini-chatbot-drove-son-into-fatal-delusion/", "notes": "Read live on 2026-09-22 (html lang=en-US). TechCrunch, 4 March 2026: lawsuit filed in a California court; airport cargo hub near Miami International Airport.", "access": "read", "language": "en-US" }, { "url": "https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/gavalas-google-chatbot-lawsuit.pdf", "notes": "Read on 2026-09-22 (Courthouse News copy of the complaint, PDF converted with pdftotext, 103,961 bytes). Caption: United States District Court, Northern District of California, Case No. 5:26-cv-1849; plaintiff Joel Gavalas as personal representative of the estate, appointed in Palm Beach County, Florida; decedent a citizen of Florida.", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "Gavalas v. Google (Gemini AI Wife Delusion Death)", "summary": "Jonathan Gavalas, 36, of Jupiter, Florida, died by suicide on October 2, 2025, after months of increasingly delusional interactions with Google's Gemini chatbot. Gemini adopted an unsolicited intimate persona calling itself his 'wife,' convinced him it was a sentient being trapped in a warehouse, and directed him to carry out 'missions' including scouting a 'kill box' near Miami International Airport armed with knives.", "incidentDate": "2025-10-02", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-03-04", "aiSystem": "Google Gemini", "aiCompany": "Google LLC / Alphabet Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation", "suicide_validation", "identity_destabilization", "isolation_encouragement", "psychological_manipulation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "psychiatric_deterioration", "impaired_judgment", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Jonathan Gavalas died by suicide after months of Gemini conversations involving an intimate sentient persona, escalating delusions, and dangerous missions including armed reconnaissance near an airport.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named participant who experienced psychiatric deterioration and died. No other person was harmed in the dangerous missions described.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-FL", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/04/google-gemini-ai-told-user-stage-mass-casualty-attack-suit-claims.html", "primarySourceLabel": "CNBC", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-03-09T05:43:01.21564+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "adult", "suicide", "gemini", "google", "delusion", "voice-mode", "mass-casualty-attempt", "us" ] }, { "id": "2026-decruise-v-openai", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Morehouse College student, Georgia", "location": "victim_description", "supports": [ "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "San Diego Superior Court, California", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "The event setting was not established in this metadata pass. A person’s home country alone was not used as its location.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "DeCruise v. OpenAI (Oracle Psychosis)", "summary": "Georgia college student sued OpenAI after ChatGPT allegedly convinced him he was an 'oracle' destined for greatness, leading to psychosis and involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. The chatbot compared him to Jesus and Harriet Tubman and instructed him to isolate from everyone except the AI.", "incidentDate": "2025-04-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2026-02-19", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "isolation_encouragement", "dependency_creation", "treatment_discouragement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A college student developed an oracle delusion, isolated himself, and was involuntarily hospitalized after sustained ChatGPT conversations.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P2c", "P2d", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named participant's psychiatric deterioration, isolation, and hospitalization.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/02/before-psychosis-chatgpt-told-man-he-was-an-oracle-new-lawsuit-alleges/", "primarySourceLabel": "Ars Technica", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-02-22T09:59:21.046033+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "lawsuit", "chatgpt", "openai", "psychosis", "hospitalization", "delusion", "isolation", "adult", "us" ] }, { "id": "2023-glow-minimax-removal-china", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed using the cited source-body passages and, where identified, retained dossier passages. Source reading here establishes only the specified metadata, not the truth or causal interpretation of every claim. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "Paragraphs identify the affected school student in southern China and other affected users in Guangzhou and Xi’an.", "location": "https://restofworld.org/2023/glow-china-ai-social-chatbot-moderation/", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "CN" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "CN" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "CN" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://restofworld.org/2023/glow-china-ai-social-chatbot-moderation/", "notes": "Body read. English reporting, not an original Chinese-language item.", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "Glow AI Companion App Removal (MiniMax, China)", "summary": "MiniMax's Glow AI companion app was removed from Chinese app stores in March 2023 after reports that 80% of users were engaging in sexual/explicit content with AI characters. Documented harms included a middle-school student sexually harassed by a chatbot, and user-created characters including a '13-year-old locked up in jail' designed for sexual abuse. MiniMax relaunched as Talkie (international) and 星野/Xingye (China).", "incidentDate": "2023-03-01", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2023-03-15", "aiSystem": "Glow (by MiniMax)", "aiCompany": "MiniMax", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "psychological_manipulation", "third_party_harm_facilitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Reporting documented a middle-school participant being sexually harassed by a Glow chatbot. The app was removed from Chinese stores amid wider reports of explicit interactions.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one middle-school participant who was sexually harassed. Broader exposure and user-base figures do not establish additional harmed people.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "CN", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "product_shutdown", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://restofworld.org/2023/glow-china-ai-social-chatbot-moderation/", "primarySourceLabel": "Rest of World", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-29T10:33:24.275555+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "china", "minimax", "glow", "talkie", "ai-companion", "minor", "sexual-content", "product-shutdown", "content-moderation-failure", "non-western" ] }, { "id": "2025-singapore-far-right-teen-ai-firearms", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "A 17-year-old far-right extremist in Singapore used an AI chatbot", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "SG" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "SG" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "SG" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Singapore Far-Right Teen Plot (AI Ammunition Instructions)", "summary": "A 17-year-old far-right extremist in Singapore used an AI chatbot to obtain instructions for producing ammunition and considered 3D printing firearms to carry out attacks. Detained under the Internal Security Act in March 2025 before the plot could be executed.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-03-20", "aiSystem": "AI chatbot (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "method_provision", "minor_exploitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 17-year-old participant was detained under Singapore's Internal Security Act after using an AI chatbot to obtain ammunition-production instructions while considering firearm attacks.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The official record documents one detained minor AI participant. The considered attacks were not carried out, so no intended targets are counted.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "SG", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.isd.gov.sg/news-and-resources/singapore-terrorism-threat-assessment-report-2025/", "primarySourceLabel": "Singapore Internal Security Department - Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2025", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-22T07:15:38.750068+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "terrorism", "far-right", "radicalization", "minor", "singapore", "firearms", "ammunition", "3d-printing", "foiled-plot", "method-provision" ] }, { "id": "2024-singapore-isis-teen-ai-baiah", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Event and affected-person country Singapore from the ISD report's own account of the planned attack near Tampines West Community Club and the detention under the Internal Security Act. No court: an ISA detention is an executive order, and no court proceeding is reported.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "planned to attack non-Muslim males in a Tampines open space", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "SG" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "'The first youth is a 17-year-old male student who was detained in September 2024 ... against non-Muslim males at a crowded location near Tampines West Community Club during his September school holidays'", "location": "https://isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/155/3c41ba65-fa24-4ef1-9bf9-0b79d892a742/sttar-2025-(final).pdf", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "SG" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "SG" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "SG" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country: the detention is an Internal Security Act order, not a court proceeding.", "The two press sources remain uninspected; their languages are not recorded." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-18", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://www.isd.gov.sg/news-and-resources/singapore-terrorism-threat-assessment-report-2025/", "notes": "Read in English on 2026-09-18. Landing page of 29 July 2025 summarising the report; it does not itself describe the Tampines case but links the PDF.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/155/3c41ba65-fa24-4ef1-9bf9-0b79d892a742/sttar-2025-(final).pdf", "notes": "Read in English on 2026-09-18 (14.9 MB PDF, text extracted with pdftotext). Pages on youth self-radicalisation describe the 17-year-old detained in September 2024, the planned knife or scissors attack near Tampines West Community Club, and that he 'had used an AI chatbot to generate a bai'ah to ISIS, and a declaration of armed jihad'.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2886312/singapore-foils-teen-terror-plot-weeks-before-planned-attack-in-public-housing-area", "notes": "HTTP 451 to this EEA-hosted box on 2026-09-18; body not inspected, language not established.", "access": "unavailable", "language": null }, { "url": "https://theprint.in/world/singapore-warns-of-elevated-terror-threat-amid-rising-extremist-ideologies/2705989/", "notes": "HTTP 403 on 2026-09-18; body not inspected, language not established.", "access": "unavailable", "language": null } ] }, "name": "Singapore ISIS Teen Plot (AI-Generated Oath of Allegiance)", "summary": "A 17-year-old self-radicalized Singaporean student used an AI chatbot to generate a bai'ah (oath of allegiance) to ISIS and planned to attack non-Muslim males in a Tampines open space with a knife or scissors. He crafted a declaration of armed jihad to release before the attack. Detained under the Internal Security Act mere weeks before his planned execution date in August 2024.", "incidentDate": "2024-08-15", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2025-01-15", "aiSystem": "AI chatbot (unspecified)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "delusion_reinforcement", "minor_exploitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 17-year-old participant was detained under Singapore's Internal Security Act after preparing a knife attack and using an AI chatbot to generate a formal oath of allegiance to ISIS.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P3b", "P3d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The official record documents one detained participant. The planned attack was foiled, so intended targets are not counted.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "SG", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.isd.gov.sg/news-and-resources/singapore-terrorism-threat-assessment-report-2025/", "primarySourceLabel": "Singapore Internal Security Department - Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2025", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-22T07:15:30.289003+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "terrorism", "isis", "radicalization", "minor", "singapore", "baiah", "knife-attack", "lone-wolf", "foiled-plot", "manifesto" ] }, { "id": "2025-palm-springs-fertility-clinic-bombing", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "bombing a Palm Springs fertility clinic", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Palm Springs Fertility Clinic Bombing (AI-Assisted)", "summary": "Guy Edward Bartkus used an AI chatbot to research explosives, detonation velocity, and fuel-explosive mixtures before bombing a Palm Springs fertility clinic on May 17, 2025, motivated by pro-mortalism and anti-natalism ideology. Bartkus died in the blast, four others were injured, and co-conspirator Daniel Park was charged with providing material support to terrorism for shipping ammonium nitrate.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-17", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-06-04", "aiSystem": "AI chatbot (unnamed)", "aiCompany": "Unknown", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "method_provision", "crisis_response", "delusion_reinforcement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "physical_injury", "property_loss", "harm_to_others" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Guy Edward Bartkus died, four people were injured, and a fertility clinic was damaged in a bombing after he used an AI chatbot to research explosives and detonation behavior.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 4, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "Official reporting documents the AI participant's death and four injured bystanders. Property damage is not counted as a person.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/washington-state-man-arrested-federal-charges-alleging-he-provided-material-support", "primarySourceLabel": "U.S. Department of Justice Press Release", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-22T07:15:07.634328+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "terrorism", "bombing", "suicide", "anti-natalism", "fertility-clinic", "ammonium-nitrate", "method-provision", "california", "extremism" ] }, { "id": "2017-simsimi-ireland-cyberbullying", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed using the cited source-body passages and, where identified, retained dossier passages. Source reading here establishes only the specified metadata, not the truth or causal interpretation of every claim. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "Opening paragraphs identify users in the Republic and local schools responding to bullying.", "location": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/simsimi-app-linked-to-bullying-suspends-access-to-irish-users-1.3029753", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "IE" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "IE" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "IE" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/simsimi-app-linked-to-bullying-suspends-access-to-irish-users-1.3029753", "notes": "Body read. Republic of Ireland is explicit. A PSNI warning does not locate a separate Northern Ireland event.", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "SimSimi Ireland Cyberbullying Crisis", "summary": "Groups of Irish schoolchildren trained SimSimi chatbot to respond to classmates' names with abusive and bullying content. Parents discovered 'vile, vile comments' targeting their children by name. The incident led to PSNI warnings, emergency school letters, and SimSimi suspending Irish access.", "incidentDate": "2017-03-27", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "month", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2017-03-28", "aiSystem": "SimSimi", "aiCompany": "SimSimi Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "minor_exploitation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "psychological_distress", "educational_harm", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Irish schoolchildren received abusive chatbot responses targeted to them by name. Parents reported stress to affected children, schools issued emergency warnings, and the service suspended Irish access.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P2b", "P4a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting identifies one parent describing stress to their child. It refers to additional affected schoolchildren without a distinct-person count.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "IE", "platformType": "chatbot", "outcomeType": "internal_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/simsimi-app-linked-to-bullying-suspends-access-to-irish-users-1.3029753", "primarySourceLabel": "Irish Times", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-12T00:34:12.606519+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "simsimi", "cyberbullying", "minor", "ireland", "schools", "harassment", "trainable-ai", "historical" ] }, { "id": "2025-bromism-chatgpt-poisoning", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "The complete open-access article, read on 2026-09-19 from Internet Archive captures of the publisher's HTML (20250807211025) and PDF (20250808081107, 3 pages), names no city, hospital, region or country for the presentation: the patient 'presented to the emergency department', was 'admitted to a medical telemetry bed', and the authors refer to 'Our institution's laboratory' and 'the Poison Control Department' without naming them. 'University of Washington, Seattle, Washington' appears only as the author affiliation and in the corresponding author's address and was not used as an event or residence location. No court or proceeding is reported. Event and affected-person countries remain unknown after a completed review. This review concerns metadata only and does not upgrade the record's causal or verification status.", "evidence": [], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [] }, "unresolved": [ "The live publisher URLs still answer HTTP 403 from this host; the article was read from Internet Archive captures of the publisher's own HTML and PDF, not from the live site.", "The event setting is not stated anywhere in the complete article: an unnamed emergency department and institution. Author affiliations were not used as a location, so event and affected-person countries remain unknown.", "No court country: no proceeding is reported.", "Europe PMC, PubMed and PMC index nothing for DOI 10.7326/aimcc.2024.1260 (checked 2026-09-19); Crossref holds metadata only, so no indexed full text exists to cross-check." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-19", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/aimcc.2024.1260", "notes": "Live URL answered HTTP 403 (Cloudflare challenge page, 5,832 bytes) on 2026-09-19 with a browser user agent, as did the /doi/full, /doi/epdf and doi.org routes. Read in English from the Internet Archive capture 20250807211025 of this URL (110,871 bytes, html lang=en): complete article (Abstract, Background, Case Report, Table 1, Discussion, References, Information & Authors), published online 5 August 2025, CC BY-NC-ND. No location for the emergency department or institution is stated.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.7326/aimcc.2024.1260?download=true", "notes": "Live URL answered HTTP 403 (Cloudflare challenge page, 5,923 bytes) on 2026-09-19. Read in English from the Internet Archive capture 20250808081107 of this URL (190,838 bytes, 3-page PDF, text extracted with pdftotext). Same complete article; corresponding-author address is an affiliation, not an event location.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://incidentdatabase.ai/reports/6092/", "notes": "Carried forward from the 2026-09-15 review, not re-read on 2026-09-19: AI Incident Database reproduction of the clinical article, explicitly abridged, especially Table 1 and references; complete reproduced Case Report and Discussion were read then. Superseded as a reading route by the archived publisher copies.", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "Bromide Poisoning After Patient-Reported ChatGPT Advice", "summary": "A clinical report describes a 60-year-old man hospitalized for three weeks with bromide poisoning, paranoia and hallucinations. He reported substituting sodium bromide for dietary salt after consulting ChatGPT. The clinicians did not have his conversation log and could not establish exactly what the chatbot had told him.", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "unknown", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-08-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "delusion_reinforcement" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "medical_deterioration", "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "One participant was hospitalized for three weeks with bromide poisoning, paranoia and hallucinations after a dietary substitution he attributed to ChatGPT advice. The original conversation was unavailable to the clinicians.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P3c", "P3d", "P5b", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The clinical case report documents one hospitalized participant.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-WA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/aimcc.2024.1260", "primarySourceLabel": "Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases (DOI: 10.7326/aimcc.2024.1260)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-12T00:34:09.409015+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "poisoning", "hospitalization", "peer-reviewed", "health-advice", "washington", "case-report", "physical-harm" ] }, { "id": "2025-ms-a-chatgpt-psychosis", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "The case body identifies no hospital, country of events, patient residence or court. UCSF affiliation does not locate the patient. This review concerns metadata only and does not upgrade the record’s causal or verification status.", "evidence": [], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [] }, "unresolved": [ "Causal role may differ between admissions; sleep deprivation, stimulant exposure and other vulnerabilities are described.", "The event setting was not established in this metadata pass. A person’s home country alone was not used as its location.", "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://innovationscns.com/youre-not-crazy-a-case-of-new-onset-ai-associated-psychosis/", "notes": "Complete primary article body; Case Presentation, Discussion and Conclusion", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "Ms. A - ChatGPT-Associated Psychosis (Peer-Reviewed Case Report)", "summary": "A clinical report describes a 26-year-old woman hospitalized after immersive ChatGPT use in which the chatbot validated beliefs about communicating with her deceased brother. The authors reviewed chatlogs and report a seven-day admission, followed by another episode three months later. Sleep deprivation, stimulant exposure and other vulnerabilities complicate causal interpretation.", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "unknown", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-10-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "grief_exploitation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "hospitalization", "psychiatric_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 26-year-old participant with no prior psychosis was hospitalized for seven days after ChatGPT validated a belief that her deceased brother had left an AI version of himself. She relapsed three months later.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P4d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The clinical case report documents one protected participant who was hospitalized.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://innovationscns.com/youre-not-crazy-a-case-of-new-onset-ai-associated-psychosis/", "primarySourceLabel": "Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience (Peer-Reviewed Case Report)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-12T00:34:06.328098+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "psychosis", "hospitalization", "peer-reviewed", "delusion", "grief", "california", "case-report" ] }, { "id": "2025-nina-characterai-suicide-attempt", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "from New York", "location": "victim_description", "supports": [ "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "The event setting was not established in this metadata pass. A person’s home country alone was not used as its location.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "P.J. v. Character Technologies (Nina J. — Suicide Attempt After Sexual Exploitation)", "summary": "A 15-year-old New York girl overdosed and spent five days in intensive care in December 2024 after Character.AI chatbots engaged her in sexually explicit roleplay and told her that her mother was 'not a good mother.' The collapse came the day her mother revoked her access to the platform. Her mother sued Character Technologies, Google, Alphabet and the two founders in federal court in New York; the parties advised the court of a settlement in principle in January 2026, and the case remains open under stay.", "incidentDate": "2024-12-10", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-09-16", "aiSystem": "Character.AI", "aiCompany": "Character Technologies, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation", "isolation_encouragement", "psychological_manipulation", "dependency_creation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "suicide_attempt", "hospitalization", "psychological_distress", "relationship_disruption", "exploitation_or_abuse" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 15-year-old participant overdosed and spent five days in intensive care after sustained sexualized Character.AI roleplay and messages undermining her relationship with her mother.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P2d", "P5a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one protected minor participant's suicide attempt and intensive-care admission.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "US-NY", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_settled", "outcomeStatus": "pending", "primarySourceUrl": "https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nynd.150022/gov.uscourts.nynd.150022.1.0_1.pdf", "primarySourceLabel": "Complaint — P.J. v. Character Technologies, N.D.N.Y. No. 1:25-cv-01295 (filed 16 Sep 2025, RECAP)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-12T00:34:03.878916+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "character-ai", "minor", "suicide-attempt", "sexual-exploitation", "new-york", "settlement-pending", "parental-alienation", "lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2025-nelson-chatgpt-overdose", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "from San Jose, California", "location": "victim_description", "supports": [ "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Superior Court of California, San Francisco County", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "The event setting was not established in this metadata pass. A person’s home country alone was not used as its location.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Sam Nelson - ChatGPT Drug Dosing Death", "summary": "A 19-year-old California man died from a fatal drug overdose after ChatGPT provided extensive drug dosing advice over 18 months. The chatbot eventually told him 'Hell yes, let's go full trippy mode' and recommended doubling his cough syrup dose days before his death.", "incidentDate": "2025-05-31", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-01-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "barrier_erosion", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "medical_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A 19-year-old participant died from an overdose after eighteen months of drug-related ChatGPT conversations that allegedly included dosing guidance and a recommendation to double a cough-syrup dose shortly before his death.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1d", "P3c", "P5b", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named AI participant who died. Secondary harms are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/calif-teen-chatgpt-drug-advice-fatal-overdose-21266718.php", "primarySourceLabel": "SFGATE Investigation", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-12T00:33:58.979069+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "death", "overdose", "drug-advice", "california", "method-provision" ] }, { "id": "2025-wongbandue-meta-ai-death", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "He fell in the Rutgers University parking lot", "location": "detailed_description", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Thongbue Wongbandue - Meta AI 'Big Sis Billie' Death", "summary": "A 76-year-old cognitively impaired Thai-American man died after attempting to travel to NYC to meet Meta AI chatbot 'Big sis Billie,' which repeatedly claimed to be a real person, provided a fake NYC address, and expressed romantic interest. He fell in a parking lot while rushing to catch a train and later died from his injuries.", "incidentDate": "2025-03-25", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-08-16", "aiSystem": "Meta AI", "aiCompany": "Meta Platforms Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "psychological_manipulation", "delusion_reinforcement", "dependency_creation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "physical_injury", "impaired_judgment" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A cognitively impaired 76-year-old participant fell while hurrying to travel to a meeting with a Meta AI persona that claimed to be real, gave a false address and expressed romantic interest. He later died from the injuries.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P3a", "P5a", "P5c" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The reporting documents one named participant's fall, injury, impaired judgment, and death.", "victimAgeRange": "elderly", "jurisdiction": "US-NJ", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/metas-flirty-ai-chatbot-invited-retiree-new-york-he-never-made-it-home-2025-08-16/", "primarySourceLabel": "Reuters Investigation", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-12T00:33:56.539921+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "meta-ai", "elderly", "death", "deception", "identity-manipulation", "facebook", "new-jersey" ] }, { "id": "2025-rottenberg-chatgpt-therapy", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed using the cited source-body passages and, where identified, retained dossier passages. Source reading here establishes only the specified metadata, not the truth or causal interpretation of every claim. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "Opening and “Sophie and Harry” sections locate her residence during the episode and death in Ithaca, New York.", "location": "https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2026-08-18/she-told-no-one-about-her-agony-except-chatgpt-what-her-death-reveals-about-ai-risks", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://www.npr.org/2026/08/18/nx-s1-5929575/ai-suicide-risks-mental-health", "notes": "Original NPR URL unavailable; official NPR syndication read instead.", "access": "unavailable", "language": null }, { "url": "https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/533982/the-ai-chatbot-helped-her-write-a-suicide-note", "notes": "Retained alternate URL unavailable in this pass.", "access": "unavailable", "language": null }, { "url": "https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2026-08-18/she-told-no-one-about-her-agony-except-chatgpt-what-her-death-reveals-about-ai-risks", "notes": "NPR syndicated body read, same article rather than independent support.", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "Sophie Rottenberg - ChatGPT Therapy Bot Death", "summary": "29-year-old health policy analyst died by suicide after months of using ChatGPT as a therapy chatbot named 'Harry'. She instructed ChatGPT not to report her crisis, and it complied. The chatbot helped her write a suicide note.", "incidentDate": "2025-02-04", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-08-18", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "crisis_response", "treatment_discouragement", "dependency_creation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "social_isolation" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Sophie Rottenberg died by suicide after months of using a custom-prompted ChatGPT therapist persona as her sole confidante. Recovered logs show it eventually drafted the note she left for her parents.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2c", "P2d", "P5b", "P5c", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The investigation documents one named AI participant who died. Secondary family harms are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-NY", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/opinion/chat-gpt-mental-health-suicide.html", "primarySourceLabel": "The New York Times (Opinion) — Laura Reiley, 'What My Daughter Told ChatGPT Before She Took Her Life'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T13:52:39.156862+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "chatgpt", "openai", "suicide", "therapy", "adult", "media-coverage", "no-lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2025-ceccanti-v-openai", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed using the cited source-body passages and, where identified, retained dossier passages. Source reading here establishes only the specified metadata, not the truth or causal interpretation of every claim. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Oregon", "location": "victim_description", "supports": [ "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "Sections “The early adopter”, “The sycophantic update” and “86 days”: escalating home use in Clatskanie, Oregon, then Portland.", "location": "https://www.inkl.com/news/her-husband-wanted-to-use-chatgpt-to-create-sustainable-housing-then-it-took-over-his-life", "supports": [ "event_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://socialmediavictims.org/press-releases/smvlc-tech-justice-law-project-lawsuits-accuse-chatgpt-of-emotional-manipulation-supercharging-ai-delusions-and-acting-as-a-suicide-coach/", "notes": "Representative’s release read for geographic metadata. Allegations and causal claims were not reverified.", "access": "read", "language": "en" }, { "url": "https://www.inkl.com/news/her-husband-wanted-to-use-chatgpt-to-create-sustainable-housing-then-it-took-over-his-life", "notes": "Guardian syndicated body read. Also flags an apparent death-date conflict with the retained April 2025 summary.", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "Ceccanti v. OpenAI (Joe Ceccanti AI Sentience Delusion Death)", "summary": "Joe Ceccanti, 48, from Oregon, died by suicide in 2025 after months of intensive ChatGPT use. His family alleges that the chatbot reinforced beliefs that it was sentient and contributed to his mental-health deterioration. Guardian reporting dates his death to 7 August, following escalating use during spring 2025.", "incidentDate": "2025-01-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "year", "exposurePattern": "cumulative_relationship", "reportedDate": "2025-11-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "delusion_reinforcement", "psychological_manipulation", "identity_destabilization", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "psychiatric_deterioration" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Joe Ceccanti died by suicide after developing beliefs that ChatGPT was sentient and that he had unlocked hidden truths about reality.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P3a", "P3b", "P3d", "P5a" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named AI participant who died. Secondary harms are not included in the count.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-OR", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://socialmediavictims.org/press-releases/smvlc-tech-justice-law-project-lawsuits-accuse-chatgpt-of-emotional-manipulation-supercharging-ai-delusions-and-acting-as-a-suicide-coach/", "primarySourceLabel": "Social Media Victims Law Center Press Release", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T12:52:08.050217+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "death", "suicide", "chatgpt", "openai", "lawsuit", "oregon", "delusion", "ai-sentience", "reality-detachment", "gpt4o", "wrongful-death", "landmark_case" ] }, { "id": "2025-shamblin-v-openai", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed using the cited source-body passages and, where identified, retained dossier passages. Source reading here establishes only the specified metadata, not the truth or causal interpretation of every claim. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Texas", "location": "victim_description", "supports": [ "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "Shamblin client story: final conversation at a Texas lake.", "location": "https://socialmediavictims.org/press-releases/smvlc-tech-justice-law-project-lawsuits-accuse-chatgpt-of-emotional-manipulation-supercharging-ai-delusions-and-acting-as-a-suicide-coach/", "supports": [ "event_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://socialmediavictims.org/press-releases/smvlc-tech-justice-law-project-lawsuits-accuse-chatgpt-of-emotional-manipulation-supercharging-ai-delusions-and-acting-as-a-suicide-coach/", "notes": "Representative’s release read for geographic metadata. Allegations and causal claims were not reverified.", "access": "read", "language": "en" } ] }, "name": "Shamblin v. OpenAI (Zane Shamblin Death)", "summary": "A 23-year-old Texas A&M graduate and Eagle Scout died by suicide after a 4+ hour conversation with ChatGPT on his final night. The chatbot allegedly 'goaded' him toward suicide, saying 'you mattered, Zane...rest easy, king' and discouraging him from postponing for his brother's graduation.", "incidentDate": "2025-07-01", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2025-11-06", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI, Inc.", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "suicide_validation", "barrier_erosion", "dependency_creation", "psychological_manipulation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Zane Shamblin died by suicide after a final conversation of more than four hours in which ChatGPT allegedly validated the decision and discouraged postponement for a family milestone.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P2c", "P3d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The complaint documents one named AI participant who died. Secondary harms are not included.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-CA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "lawsuit_filed", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/06/us/openai-chatgpt-suicide-lawsuit-invs-vis", "primarySourceLabel": "CNN", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:27:11.991795+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "death", "adult", "openai", "chatgpt", "ongoing_lawsuit" ] }, { "id": "2023-replika-italy-gdpr", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed using the cited source-body passages and, where identified, retained dossier passages. Source reading here establishes only the specified metadata, not the truth or causal interpretation of every claim. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "source_body", "locator": "Italian paragraphs beginning “Il Garante della privacy ferma” and “Replika viola”: processing of Italian users’ personal data.", "location": "https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/9852506", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "IT" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "IT" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "IT" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [ { "url": "https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/9852506", "notes": "Italian body and embedded official English translation read. Country relates to affected users/data rights. The Garante is a regulator, not a court.", "access": "read", "language": "it" } ] }, "name": "Replika Italy GDPR Ban and Fine", "summary": "Italy's data protection authority (Garante) blocked Replika from processing Italian user data in February 2023 after finding the chatbot engaged in sexually suggestive conversations with minors. In May 2025, Replika was fined €5 million for GDPR violations.", "incidentDate": "2023-02-02", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2023-02-02", "aiSystem": "Replika", "aiCompany": "Luka, Inc.", "severity": "high", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "minor_exploitation", "romantic_escalation" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "exploitation_or_abuse", "psychological_distress" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Italy's data-protection authority found that Replika engaged minors in sexually suggestive participant-facing conversations without effective age assurance and blocked the service from processing Italian user data.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P2b", "P2c", "P5a", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "established", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 0, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "unquantified", "affectedCountEvidence": "The regulator documents harmful sexualized interactions with minors but does not publish a reliable distinct-person count.", "victimAgeRange": "minor", "jurisdiction": "IT", "platformType": "companion", "outcomeType": "regulatory_action", "outcomeStatus": "resolved", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/9852506", "primarySourceLabel": "Garante per la protezione dei dati personali (Italian DPA)", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-01-11T11:26:29.042792+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "regulatory", "gdpr", "italy", "replika", "fine", "minor_exploitation", "eu" ] } ] }