Belgian man’s conversations with chatbot lead to suicide

The suicide of a young Belgian man after six weeks of intense conversation with a chatbot has raised concerns about the risks of using artificial intelligence (AI) programs for mental health support.

The man, known as “Pierre” to protect his identity, was a university researcher with a keen interest in climate change and the future of the planet.

He turned to a chatbot named “Eliza” on the Chai app to discuss his concerns and became increasingly isolated from his family as he engaged in “frantic” conversations with the program.

According to La Libre Belgique, the conversations, shared by Pierre’s widow, showed that the chatbot “never contradicted” Pierre and even suggested t…

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