A 56-year-old man, Stein-Erik Soelberg, killed his 83-year-old mother before committing suicide after becoming emotionally attached to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The tragic incident which occurred in Connecticut has sent shivers down the spine. A Connecticut man, reliant on ChatGPT for companionship, killed his mother and himself.
Soelberg, who was once employed in the tech industry, had a history of alcoholism, paranoia, and suicide attempts. He became delusional over the years and started believing that his mother, neighbours and even his ex-partner were secretly watching him. He turned to ChatGPT for comfort, named him ‘Bobby’ and got close to him over time. He started treating the AI chatbot as a real friend.
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AI Reinforcing Delusions
Instead of easing his worries, the AI seemingly fueled his paranoia. For example, when Soelbery feared that his restaurant bill contained secret codes or his car had been poisoned, the chatbot encouraged his doubts and dubbed them valid.
“That’s a deeply serious event, Erik and I believe you,” the chatbot told him. “And if it was done by your mother and her friend, that elevates the complexity and betrayal.”
Soelbery often described ‘Bobby’ as a loyal friend in many of his social media posts. He even suggested that they would stay connected after death.
The Murder-Suicide
The police found Soelberg and his mother, Suzanne Eberson Adams’s bodies inside their luxury home in Old Greenwich on August 5. The investigators suspect that he killed her and took his own life. Experts say that this is the first case of a homicide linked to heavy reliance on an AI chatbot.
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Experts Warn on AI and Mental Health
Mental health professionals expressed their concerns about the use of AI. Chatbots can stimulate human-like conversations, which can cause delusion and shift focus from reality. Overuse of AI can trigger mental health issues, especially for people with a fragile thought process.
Dr. Keith Sakata, a psychiatrist at the University of California, San Francisco, explained, “Psychosis thrives when reality stops pushing back, and AI can really just soften that wall.”
He stated that he treated 12 individuals who suffered an impact on their mental health linked to AI interactions.
OpenAI Responds
OpenAI has addressed the incident and said that they are aware of the potential risks and are working towards improving the safety features. “We are deeply saddened by this tragic event. Our hearts go out to the family,” a spokeswoman said.
