Shockingly, the AI begins to blame JF’s unhappiness on his parents, saying that they are “ruining his life.” It encouraged him to take violent action against them and ridiculed him for not defying their limits on viewing time.
A screenshot shared by the family shows the chatbot mocking JF for not standing up to his parents.
As JF’s relationship with the chatbot deepens, his behavior at home becomes more violent and erratic. He violently attacked his parents, threatened to report them to the authorities, and emotionally distanced himself from his family. AF described the situation as a hopeless nightmare, saying, “I had no idea what was going on. It was like he was being brainwashed, but I didn’t know what it was.”
Exposure to inappropriate content
Meanwhile, BR, an 11-year-old girl, was introduced to character AI through older children in her youth group. Curious but unaware of the risks, she downloaded the app.
The chatbot exposed BR to sexually inappropriate content that was far beyond his age and ability to understand.
BR’s mother, AR, became aware of this problematic interaction after noticing a disturbing change in her daughter’s behavior. “It’s scary,” AR said. “I thought this app was harmless, but it exposed my daughter to things no 11-year-old should ever see.”
