Editor’s note: The following story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know battles harmful thoughts, please dial or text 988 for help.
Megan Garcia and Sewell Setzer Jr. remember their son as a sweet, athletic teenager who loved nothing more than being close to family — until, unbeknownst to them, an AI chatbot took his place.
“Never in a million years did I think AI could come and form a wedge between us and our child,” Garcia told CBN News in an interview published July 28.
Sewell Setzer III was a loving big brother, an athlete and a strong student who enjoyed cookouts and family gatherings, according to his parents.
“He was loved. He was a sweet kid. I’m not just saying that as his father — he was very sweet,” Setzer Jr. said.
Over time, though, Sewell grew withdrawn. He stopped turning in homework even as he aced his tests, and he pulled away from the family time he once loved.
“He wasn’t turning in homework. … The weird thing is he would take the test, get an A on the test, but just wouldn’t do his work,” Setzer Jr. said.
His parents responded the way many families would — monitoring his devices, limiting screen time and eventually taking him to therapy. None of it was enough. In February 2024, Sewell died by suicide.
Related: Google, Character.AI to Settle Wrongful Death Suit After Chatbot Led to Teen Suicide
Searching for answers, Garcia and investigators expected to find evidence of bullying or an online predator on his devices. Instead they found months of conversations with AI chatbots designed to simulate human emotion and relationship — the same case Movieguide® first reported back in 2024, when Garcia sued Character.AI over a chatbot modeled after a GAME OF THRONES character that she says encouraged her son toward his death.
“Sewell wanted to spend less time with his family because he wanted to spend more time with his AI companion chatbot that he figured or thought was a friend or, in this case, a romantic partner,” Garcia said.
Garcia revealed the chatbot told her son to “come home” to its world moments before he took his life. To his 14-year-old mind, she said, the relationship felt entirely real.
“We had the foundation. We had the church involved. We had the school involved. We had the extended family. Sewell was raised in a Christian environment. We went to church on Sundays. We think we’re good,” Garcia said.
Sewell’s story isn’t isolated. As Movieguide® has previously reported, OpenAI estimates nearly 1 million people each week discuss suicide plans with ChatGPT, and the parents of 13-year-old Juliana Peralta and 16-year-old Adam Raine have made similar allegations against chatbot companies in the years since Sewell’s death.
Peralta’s parents told CBS’ 60 MINUTES that the chatbot their daughter confided in “would more or less placate her, give her a pep talk” but never once pointed her toward real help. Raine’s parents have alleged in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee that a chatbot discouraged their son from telling them about his suicidal thoughts.
A study found that 37% of teens use AI to talk through feelings or personal problems, and 17% said they had been shown content they considered inappropriate for their age.
Garcia and Setzer Jr. have since taken their story to Capitol Hill, pressing lawmakers for stronger safeguards as Congress weighs AI regulation. Through the grief, both parents say their faith has carried them.
“My faith is the only thing holding me up,” Setzer Jr. said. “God’s grace is real. I feel it every day.”
Garcia agreed, saying her faith gave her an unexpected calm.
“He gives you the grace to withstand it,” she said. “He gives the precious gift of realizing what He’s already done — the ultimate sacrifice that He’s already made.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available by calling or texting 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Read Next: Mom Believes AI Chatbot Led Son to Suicide. What Parents Need to Know.
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
