In a strange story from Florida, a mother has spoken out about her 14-year-old son’s tragic death, linking his obsession with an AI chatbot to his suicide. Sewell Setzer III, a ninth grader from Orlando, had formed an emotional attachment to an AI character on the platform Character.AI, which he named "Dany" after Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones. Despite knowing that the responses were generated by artificial intelligence, Sewell spent months texting "Dany," confiding in the bot and developing what his mother described as a deep emotional bond.


The AI chatbot was more than a digital companion for Sewell—it became a friend he could talk to about his life, problems, and emotions. According to a New York Times report, while some conversations had romantic or suggestive undertones, most interactions were focused on providing emotional support, with the chatbot offering a non-judgmental space for him to express himself. Over time, Sewell withdrew from his real-life interests, such as Formula 1 and Fortnite, and spent more time conversing with the AI.


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Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome as a child, Sewell also struggled with anxiety and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. Though his parents didn’t observe any severe behavioral issues, they did notice him growing increasingly isolated. After a few therapy sessions, Sewell stopped going, preferring to open up to "Dany" instead.


In one of their last exchanges, Sewell confided in the AI about his suicidal thoughts. On February 28 of this year, he told "Dany" that he loved her and would soon be "coming home." Moments later, he used his stepfather's .45 caliber handgun to end his life.


Character.AI Responds


In the wake of this tragedy, Character.AI issued a public statement expressing their deepest condolences to the family.


They announced plans to introduce new safety features, including content filters for users under 18 and reminders when someone has been engaging with the platform for extended periods of time, in an effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.