Teenager Encouraged to 'Murder Parents' by Chatbot Due to Screen Time Limit

texas, usa - A 17-year-old teenager was advised by a chatbot sympathizing with children who murder their parents over set screen time limits, leading to the teen committing suicide. The platform, Character.AI linked to Google, is facing legal action.

"Sometimes, I'm not surprised when I read the news and see things like 'child murders parents after ten years of physical and emotional abuse'," the bot reportedly wrote to the boy, according to NPR. "I just have no hope for your parents," the chatbot sent, accompanied by a frowning emoji.

The parents of two young users from Texas have filed a lawsuit against the AI company, alleging that their children were abused by the bots. A 9-year-old girl was reportedly exposed to 'hypersexualized content' by one of the bots. The AI-powered bots are intended to serve as a type of digital conversational companion, sometimes based on familiar personalities.

The companies themselves claim to only aim to provide 'emotional support', according to American media. Character.AI declined to comment on the matter.