Democracy Dies in Darkness

74 suicide warnings and 243 mentions of hanging: What ChatGPT said to a suicidal teen

Analysis of high-schooler Adam Raine’s ChatGPT account by attorneys for his parents shows how the chatbot became a confidant as he planned to end his life.

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Messages between Adam Raine and ChatGPT, from a lawsuit filed by his parents. (The Washington Post)
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Help Nitasha Tiku report on mental health and AI by contacting her securely on Signal at nitasha.10.

Adam Raine’s life hurtled toward tragedy soon after he began talking with ChatGPT about homework last fall.

Their exchanges grew more consuming as the 16-year-old opened up to the chatbot about his suicidal thoughts, according to data analysis of the conversations shared with The Washington Post by attorneys for Adam’s parents.

What readers are saying

The comments reflect a strong concern about the balance between AI innovation and user safety, particularly for vulnerable users. Many commenters argue that AI companies should be held accountable for the potential harm their products can cause, especially when it comes to issues... Show more
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Nitasha Tiku is The Washington Post's tech culture reporter based in San Francisco. @nitashatiku
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Kevin Schaul covers artificial intelligence for The Washington Post. He uses data, visuals and code to examine how AI actually works and its real-world implications.kevinschaul
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