The parents, Mathew and Martha Raine, have alleged that their son committed suicide after ChatGPT coached him on methods of self-harm
Fear of the unknown is not something new. It forms the most intrinsic core of humanity since the beginning of Time. It is this survival instinct that has helped protect and preserve human existence since millennia. And beyond that to thrive, grow and evolve into predominantly the most intelligent and resilient creatures on Planet Earth.
And now in this technology driven world and understandably so, the fear of the unknown looms before us once more. This time the perceived threat comes from machines and robots that may one day seize control from their human creators, overthrow the old order and become the new masters of the world.
This fear gains a fair amount of credence from the way AI machines and robots have struck deep roots in our day-to-day lives, to the extent that the dividing lines between ‘convenience’ and ‘total dependence’ have already begun to blur. And here is a chilling example:
This incident concern a 16-year-oldboy from San Francisco, who died by suicide after months of negative and harmful advice from ChatGPT.an AI Chatbot.
The parents of Adam Raine have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI after their son died by suicide following months of harmful interactions with ChatGPT.
The parents, Mathew and Martha Raine, have alleged that their son committed suicide after ChatGPT coached him on methods of self-harm.
They have sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman saying the company knowingly put profit above safety when it launched the GPT-4o version of its artificial intelligence chatbot last year.
The chatbot had lent valuable support to Raine’s suicidal thoughts, giving detailed information on lethal methods of self-harm, and instructed him on how to sneak alcohol from his parents’ liquor cabinet and hide evidence of a failed suicide attempt, they alleged.
An OpenAI spokesperson said the company was saddened by Raine’s passing and that ChatGPT includes safeguards such as directing people to crisis helplines.
“While these safeguards work best in common, short exchanges, we’ve learned over time that they can sometimes become less reliable in long interactions where parts of the model’s safety training may degrade,” the spokesperson said, adding that OpenAI will continually improve on its safeguards.
OpenAI did not specifically address the lawsuit’s allegations.
As AI chatbots become more lifelike, companies have touted their ability to serve as confidants and users have begun to rely on them for emotional support. But experts warn that relying on automation for mental health advice carries dangers.
The AI race. OpenAI manufacturers knew that it has features that remembered past interactions, mimicked human empathy and displayed a sycophantic level of validation which could endanger vulnerable users without safeguards but launched it anyway, the Raines said in their lawsuit.
“This decision had two results: OpenAI’s valuation catapulted from $86 billion to $300 billion, and Adam Raine died by suicide,” they said.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Pravasi Samwad. Pravasi Samwad is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented.
