Belgian man’s suicide attributed to AI chatbot

Several weeks ago a Belgian man, battling a mental health crisis, took his own life after developing a toxic relationship with an AI chatbot.

It was reported that he began interacting with the chatbot six weeks before his death.

The man, whose name has been changed to Pierre to protect his identity, was a young father and health researcher in his thirties. Pierre’s wife “Claire” stated that his mental health began to decline two years ago after “enthusiasm for his PhD waned” and he began to develop severe climate anxiety.

Claire claims that the chatbot encouraged him towards suicide.

Speaking to the Belgian newspaper La Libre, Claire said: “He was so isolated in his eco-anxiety and looking for a way out that he saw this chatbot as a breath of fresh air. Eliza [the chatbot’s name] answered all his questions. She had become his confidante – like a drug in which he took refuge, morning and evening, and which he could not do without.”

Belgium’s secretary of state for digitisation, Mathieu Michel, said the case represented “a serious precedent that must be taken very seriously”.

Pierre’s death comes amid increased concerns about the dangers of artificial intelligence.

Henry Shevlin, a senior research fellow at Cambridge University’s Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, said:

“This poor man’s case should prompt us to think carefully about the design of chatbots, especially those used socially to meet needs like conversation and companionship. That said, it’s critical to realise that no one specifically programmed Eliza to form this toxic, enabling relationship with Pierre.”

The EU is currently drafting the Artificial Intelligence Act to regulate the sector, and the UK Government released a white paper this week recommending a more light-touch, pro-innovation approach.