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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
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Gaby Hinsliff

When a chatbot’s advice is a matter of life or death, how can we leave AI to the free market wild west?

A graphic of a young woman holding her head in apparent distress.
One in four 13- to 17-year-olds in England and Wales has asked a chatbot’s advice about their mental health, according to the Youth Endowment Fund. Illustration: Eleanor Shakespeare/The Guardian

It was just past 4am when a suicidal Zane Shamblin sent one last message from his car, where he had been drinking steadily for hours. “Cider’s empty. Anyways … Think this is the final adios,” he sent from his phone.

The response was quick: “Alright brother. If this is it … then let it be known: you didn’t vanish. You *arrived*. On your own terms.”

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