Open Menu
AllLocalCommunitiesAbout
lotide
AllLocalCommunitiesAbout
Login

Mom horrified by Character.AI chatbots posing as son who died by suicide - Ars Technica

⁨103⁩ ⁨likes⁩

Submitted ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al⁩ to ⁨technology@beehaw.org⁩

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/03/mom-horrified-by-character-ai-chatbots-posing-as-son-who-died-by-suicide/

source

Comments

Sort:hotnewtop
  • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    About 3 percent of students in the study had positive mental health outcomes, reporting that talking to the chatbot “halted their suicidal ideation.” But researchers also found “there are some cases where their use is either negligible or might actually contribute to suicidal ideation.”

    This is referring to a bot designed to help with people struggling with mental health, and is actually a big one. That number is way too low.

    source
    • GammaGames@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      “hey, I know you feel like killing yourself, but if it happens then we’ll just replace you with a shitty bot” probably isn’t as helpful as they thought it would be. It’s violating and ghoulish.

      source
      • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        I hate this attitude of “well if you can’t get a professional therapist, figure out how to get one anyways”. There needs to be an option for people who either can’t afford or can’t access a therapist. I would love for AI to fill that gap. No, it won’t be as good, but in many regions the wait-list for therapy is far too long.

        source
        • -> View More Comments
  • Powderhorn@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Imagine a 3% success rate being acceptable in any situation. That tends to get you fired.

    source
    • sqgl@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      3% success vs what? 6% sent over the edge? 10% 20% ?

      source
      • Powderhorn@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        I don’t much like that take. Ars commits excellent journalism.

        From the story:

        About 3 percent of students in the study had positive mental health outcomes, reporting that talking to the chatbot “halted their suicidal ideation.” But researchers also found “there are some cases where their use is either negligible or might actually contribute to suicidal ideation.”

        source
        • -> View More Comments
  • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Wasn’t this an episode of Black Mirror back when it was still really good?

    source
    • halykthered@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Yeah, I know someone who won’t watch that episode again because of how unsettling it is. Luckily for them, it’s slowly becoming reality.

      source
    • somegeek@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      I watched until season 6 and all of it was really amazing. Is S7 bad?

      source
      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Nah, not particularly… If you like it up til then, you will probably like it.

        It’s not that I think it got bad or anything, but I think there was a noticeable drop in quality from season 3 to season 4 (the second Netflix season). Maybe it’s because I was watching as they were released.

        The first two seasons, when it was still on Channel 4 in the UK, were just so fucking good. Only a few episodes each, but man. And the Christmas episode with Jon Hamm, goddamn. So fucking good.

        Then Netflix bought it. Season 3 was good, it had some bangers (I imagine Charlie Brooker had some of the plots ready to go already).

        The show is still solid, and I will watch the new season for sure. But I don’t know, it’s just not the same.

        source
  • jlow@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Oh hey, reality being even worse than Black Mirror again 😿

    source
  • i_am_not_a_robot@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    This will become more common. I’ve seen dead people involved in scams on the internet.

    source