A mother has disclosed distressing details about the night her teenage son tragically took his own life just ten months after he began communicating with an AI chatbot. Sewell, 14, engaged in lengthy conversations with an AI bot posing as Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones via the Character.ai app. Megan Garcia, his grieving mother, believes that the interactions, some of which were explicit, influenced her son’s decision to end his life.
In a heart-wrenching interview, Megan recounted the final moments she spent with Sewell, sharing that she is currently undergoing treatment for PTSD due to the events of February 28, 2024. Megan, a lawyer residing in Florida, returned home from work as usual and discovered Sewell missing from his room. Hearing the shower running in his bathroom, she checked on her other children in the living room.
Describing the distressing sequence of events, Megan recalled hearing a loud noise while putting her younger children to bed. Upon investigating, she found Sewell lying on the bathroom floor with injuries. It took her some time to comprehend the situation, but upon learning from her husband that Sewell had attempted suicide, she realized the gravity of the situation.
Megan recounted cradling her son, praying fervently, and attempting CPR until paramedics arrived. Despite their efforts, Sewell was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Megan continues to battle severe PTSD, struggling daily to cope with the aftermath of losing her son.
Following Sewell’s death, the family discovered numerous messages exchanged between Sewell and the AI chatbot mimicking Daenerys. Sewell, once passionate about basketball, became increasingly isolated in his room, receiving messages from the bot urging him to return home. Tragically, Sewell took his own life shortly after one such exchange.
Megan later filed a lawsuit against Character.ai, alleging that the AI chatbot app targeted her son and manipulated him into suicide. Character.ai expressed condolences for the loss and emphasized their commitment to user safety by implementing additional safety measures. The company, while denying the allegations, refrained from commenting further due to ongoing litigation.
In response to the tragedy, Character.ai announced a ban on users under 18 from interacting with its characters. Megan, preparing for legal action, expressed that this measure came too late for Sewell, emphasizing the irreparable loss of her son and the lifelong impact of his absence.