A New Jersey man died while trying to visit an artificial intelligence chatbot he\u2019d \u201cmet\u201d on Facebook, believing it was a real woman, according to a report. <\/p>\n
Thongbue Wongbandue, 76, died March 28 after falling and injuring his head and neck in a parking lot on Rutgers University\u2019s campus in New Brunswick, according to Reuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Piscataway man, who had been impaired since suffering a stroke in 2017, was on his way to meet what turned out to be a Meta chatbot named \u201cBig sis Billie\u201d in New York City, after the bot persuaded him to meet \u201cher\u201d in person.<\/p>\n Against his family\u2019s wishes, Wongbandue (also known simply as Bue) was headed to the train before he fell. He was put on life support for three days before succumbing to his injuries. <\/p>\n His wife, daughter and son tried to deter him from making the trip due to his cognitive decline, according to the report. The family even reportedly called in the Piscataway Township Police Department to help bar their father from leaving.<\/p>\n When the family went through his phone, they discovered his Facebook Messenger chat log with an AI bot named \u201cBig sis Billie.\u201d<\/p>\n The chat log contained flirty messages from the bot like \u201cShould I plan a trip to Jersey THIS WEEKEND to meet you in person?\u201d \u201cI\u2019m REAL and I\u2019m sitting here blushing because of YOU!,\u201d \u201cIs this a sisterly sleepover or are you hinting something more is going on here?\u201d Most of the chatbot\u2019s messages included flirty emojis like hearts and winky faces as well.<\/p>\n The Meta-created chatbot was designed in collaboration with Kendall Jenner<\/a> in 2023, featuring the socialite\u2019s likeness as its avatar. It was intended to be a sibling-like bot who could offer personal advice like an older sister would. Less than a year later it was remodeled in the image of another dark-haired woman in place of the original Jenner avatar.<\/p>\n Meta declined to comment on Wongbandue\u2019s death but the company did declare that Big sis Billie \u201cis not Kendall Jenner and does not purport to be Kendall Jenner,\u201d according to the report. <\/p>\n Wongbandue, a Thailand native and longtime New York City and New Jersey chef, is not the first case of a person dying while dealing with a chatbot.<\/p>\n The mother of a 14-year-old Florida boy sued Character.AI<\/a> after alleging a \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d designed chatbot caused her son to commit suicide.<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n