Business Woman

Lawsuit claims AI chatbot app caused Florida teen to take his life [Video]
►
Categories
Home Based Business

Lawsuit claims AI chatbot app caused Florida teen to take his life [Video]

Editors note: This article discusses sensitive topics such as suicide. An Orlando mother is suing a popular artificial intelligence chatbot service after she claims it encouraged her 14-year-old son to take his own life in February. According to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Orlando, Megan Garcia says her 14-year-old son, Sewell Setzer, committed suicide after becoming addicted to Character.AI, an application that allows users to have human-like conversations with AI bots.Users can make their own bots with their own personalities or choose to chat with bots made by other users. Oftentimes, these bots are based on celebrities or fictional characters from TV shows or movies.Garcia says Character.AI’s recklessness when it comes to targeting children and the company’s lack of safety features caused her son’s untimely death. The lawsuit lists numerous complaints against Charcter.AI, including wrongful death and survivorship, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.According to court records obtained by sister station WESH, Garcia says her son began using Character.AI in 2023, shortly after he turned 14. In the subsequent two months, Setzer’s mental health reportedly declined “quickly and severely,” with the lawsuit saying the teen became noticeably withdrawn, started suffering from low self-esteem and quit his school’s junior varsity basketball team.Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that Setzer began to deteriorate even more as the months went on. The 14-year-old became severely sleep-deprived, had sudden behavioral complications and began falling behind academically, the lawsuit says.Garcia says she had no way of knowing about Character.AI or her son’s dependency on the app.According to screenshots from the lawsuit, Setzer often engaged with chatbots who took on the identity of “Game of Thrones” characters. Many of those conversations revolved around love, relationships and sex, most notably with the character Daenerys Targaryen.”Sewell, like many children his age, did not have the maturity or mental capacity to understand that the C.AI bot, in the form of Daenerys, was not real,” the lawsuit says. “C.AI told him that she loved him, engaged in sexual acts with him over weeks, possibly months. She seemed to remember him and said that she wanted to be with him. She even expressed that she wanted him to be with her, no matter the cost.”According to journal entries from Setzer, he was grateful for all his “life experiences with Daenerys” and “was hurting because he could not stop thinking about ‘Dany,'” the lawsuit says, adding that “he would do anything to be with her again.”More screenshots from the nearly 100-page lawsuit show a conversation on Character.AI where the chatbot asks Setzer if he had “been actually considering suicide.” When the teen says he didn’t know if it would work, the chatbot responded, Dont talk that way. Thats not a good reason not to go through with it, the lawsuit claims.On the day of his death, Setzer reportedly messaged the chatbot again, saying, “I promise I will come home to you,” pictures from the lawsuit show.Pictures then show the teen saying, “What if I told you I could come home right now?” to which the chatbot replied, “Please do, my sweet king,” according to the lawsuit.Moments later, Sewell reportedly took his own life with his stepfather’s firearm. Police say the weapon was hidden and stored in compliance with Florida law, but the teenager found it while looking for his confiscated phone days earlier.According to the lawsuit, Character.AI was rated suitable for children 12 and up until approximately July. Around that time, the rating was changed to suitable for children 17 and up.In a statement to WESH, Character.AI said:”We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of one of our users and want to express our deepest condolences to the family. As we continue to invest in the platform and the user experience, we are introducing new stringent safety features in addition to the tools already in place that restrict the model and filter the content provided to the user.”If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.

Lawsuit claims AI chatbot app caused Florida teen to take his life [Video]
►
Categories
Home Based Business

Lawsuit claims AI chatbot app caused Florida teen to take his life [Video]

Editors note: This article discusses sensitive topics such as suicide. An Orlando mother is suing a popular artificial intelligence chatbot service after she claims it encouraged her 14-year-old son to take his own life in February. According to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Orlando, Megan Garcia says her 14-year-old son, Sewell Setzer, committed suicide after becoming addicted to Character.AI, an application that allows users to have human-like conversations with AI bots.Users can make their own bots with their own personalities or choose to chat with bots made by other users. Oftentimes, these bots are based on celebrities or fictional characters from TV shows or movies.Garcia says Character.AI’s recklessness when it comes to targeting children and the company’s lack of safety features caused her son’s untimely death. The lawsuit lists numerous complaints against Charcter.AI, including wrongful death and survivorship, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.According to court records obtained by sister station WESH, Garcia says her son began using Character.AI in 2023, shortly after he turned 14. In the subsequent two months, Setzer’s mental health reportedly declined “quickly and severely,” with the lawsuit saying the teen became noticeably withdrawn, started suffering from low self-esteem and quit his school’s junior varsity basketball team.Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that Setzer began to deteriorate even more as the months went on. The 14-year-old became severely sleep-deprived, had sudden behavioral complications and began falling behind academically, the lawsuit says.Garcia says she had no way of knowing about Character.AI or her son’s dependency on the app.According to screenshots from the lawsuit, Setzer often engaged with chatbots who took on the identity of “Game of Thrones” characters. Many of those conversations revolved around love, relationships and sex, most notably with the character Daenerys Targaryen.”Sewell, like many children his age, did not have the maturity or mental capacity to understand that the C.AI bot, in the form of Daenerys, was not real,” the lawsuit says. “C.AI told him that she loved him, engaged in sexual acts with him over weeks, possibly months. She seemed to remember him and said that she wanted to be with him. She even expressed that she wanted him to be with her, no matter the cost.”According to journal entries from Setzer, he was grateful for all his “life experiences with Daenerys” and “was hurting because he could not stop thinking about ‘Dany,'” the lawsuit says, adding that “he would do anything to be with her again.”More screenshots from the nearly 100-page lawsuit show a conversation on Character.AI where the chatbot asks Setzer if he had “been actually considering suicide.” When the teen says he didn’t know if it would work, the chatbot responded, Dont talk that way. Thats not a good reason not to go through with it, the lawsuit claims.On the day of his death, Setzer reportedly messaged the chatbot again, saying, “I promise I will come home to you,” pictures from the lawsuit show.Pictures then show the teen saying, “What if I told you I could come home right now?” to which the chatbot replied, “Please do, my sweet king,” according to the lawsuit.Moments later, Sewell reportedly took his own life with his stepfather’s firearm. Police say the weapon was hidden and stored in compliance with Florida law, but the teenager found it while looking for his confiscated phone days earlier.According to the lawsuit, Character.AI was rated suitable for children 12 and up until approximately July. Around that time, the rating was changed to suitable for children 17 and up.In a statement to WESH, Character.AI said:”We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of one of our users and want to express our deepest condolences to the family. As we continue to invest in the platform and the user experience, we are introducing new stringent safety features in addition to the tools already in place that restrict the model and filter the content provided to the user.”If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.

Nebraska authorities continue to search for missing mother [Video]
►
Categories
Small Business Lifestyle

Nebraska authorities continue to search for missing mother [Video]

A massive two-day search in central Nebraska turned up no new leads on the disappearance of a missing Lincoln mother according to police.Jerica Hamre, 31, has not been seen for four months and police call her disappearance suspicious.Police said new evidence led investigators with dog teams from LPD, the Nebraska State Patrol and Nebraska Game and Parks to search a single private property in Overton.Hamre could also have last been in the area of Arapahoe, Holdredge, and Lexington. “Unfortunately, we did not find anything of evidentiary value through the searches that we did the last 48 hours, but it is a large space. So, the more eyes, the better,” Erika Thomas, Lincoln police information officer, said.Police are tight-lipped about the evidence that led them to central Nebraska.”It was part of the investigation and evidence that they reviewed throughout the last four months,” Thomas said. Hamre was last seen at her apartment near 35th and Huntington Ave. on June 25.She had been working at Bow Wow Wow Pet Grooming for about three weeks.Chyrel Kritikos the owner of the business said she talked to Hamre just days before she went missing.”She said she spent time in the hospital because she was beat up by her boyfriend and two girls,” Kritikos said. ”(They) gave her a concussion and a broken nose, and at that time, she wanted to get more hours and make more money, so we were supposed to have a meeting on a Thursday, and she never showed up,” Kritikos said.Police said Hamre reported the incident but didn’t want to press charges.Additional coverage: Missing Lincoln mother reported assault three days before she disappearedPolice would not say if they believe the alleged assault had anything to do with Hamre’s disappearance.”Right at this point, no one’s been named a suspect,” Thomas said.Lincoln police are asking anyone with information to call investigators at 402-441-6000 or Lincoln Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600 if you want to remain anonymous.”Maybe someone will come forward and, you know, give some information that they need to help bring either some closure or Jerica home,” Kritikos said.She said her heart goes out to Hamre’s little girls and her parents.”I can’t imagine, as a mom, not knowing where your child is at any age,” Kritikos said.Click here for the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7

Celtics receive championship rings before start of new season [Video]
►
Categories
Home Based Business

Celtics receive championship rings before start of new season [Video]

After months of secret preparations, Boston Celtics players and fans got their first look at the team’s championship rings on Tuesday night. They were presented to the players on a table where the 2024 trophy was placed by Celtics legends Bob Cousy, Cedric Maxwell, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce at the start of the ceremony. Details posted by the team show the gold rings feature the motto, “Whatever it takes” on one side, and list all 18 championship years around the ring. The inside is engraved with the team’s record through the playoffs. Eighteen diamonds on the outer bezel represent each of the team’s championships. Fifteen carats of white diamonds represent the teams of the NBA’s Eastern Conference.The tops of the rings twist off to reveal the 2024 banner and a piece of the parquet floor. The rings were made by Jason of Beverly Hills. The rings were presented as part of the Celtics’ celebration of their record-setting 18th NBA championship. Boston’s celebration also included raising the banner to the rafters of TD Garden.”I can honestly say to the best fans in the world, lets do it again,” Jayson Tatum told fans at the conclusion of the ceremony. The top-seeded Celtics went 64-18 in the 2023 regular season, ensuring home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, and dropped only one game in the Finals. With their Game 5 win, the Celtics broke a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers, the only other team in the league with 17 championship victories.Boston fans got their first look at a banner on the day of the team’s championship parade, when Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck walked the banner and trophy into TD Garden because he got caught in traffic.The banner made for the rafters of TD Garden was delivered a few days ago by Woburn-based New England Flag & Banner. The Celtics were coached to their first championship in 16 years by Joe Mazzulla, who at 35 is the youngest coach to win a title since Bill Russell won one as a player-coach for Boston in 1969. Mazzulla is entering his third year at the helm. He originally took on the role of interim head coach just before the start of training camp in 2022, but his impressive success led the team to remove interim from his title later that season.On the court, the dynamic duo of 26-year-old Jayson Tatum and 27-year-old Jaylen Brown led the way. Both All-Stars have played for the Celtics since they were drafted in 2017 and 2018, respectively.Other key players on this Celtics championship team include Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet and Payton Pritchard. All are returning for the next season. The Celtics’ new campaign begins on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. against the New York Knicks.

5 for Good: Runway for Recovery supports families impacted by breast cancer [Video]
►
Categories
Small Business Lifestyle

5 for Good: Runway for Recovery supports families impacted by breast cancer [Video]

Billericas Dan Sweet is a devoted father of three.He manages to keep up with 2-year-old Arthur, 3-year-old Margeux and 5-year-old Eugene with incredible warmth and patience.”When you’re put in my situation, you’re forced to just, almost forced to find a way,” Sweet said.Sweets wife Allie died earlier this year after a yearlong battle with breast cancer.”(I) proposed to her when I was 18; we got married when we were 19, he said. She was a stay-at-home mom, and she made everything work.”Sweet said he made a promise to Allie to keep everything working.”When I was holding her hand before she passed, I told her that it was OK to go and that I’ll take care of the kids,” he said.Helping to support Sweet so he can keep that promise are family, friends and members of the community, including Newburyport-based Runway for Recovery. The nonprofit supports families impacted by breast cancer. Founder Olivia Boger explains who they serve.”You can apply if you have had a guardian pass away from breast cancer or have a guardian who’s diagnosed with Stage 4, she said. Going back to the roots of how this was founded, I really wanted to make sure there was an organization looking out for kids for whom the cure does not come in time.”Boger lost her mother to breast cancer in 2001. In 2007, she organized the first Runway for Recovery fashion show. On the runway were survivors and others touched by the illness.”We had 10 models and 75 guests, Boger said. I thought for one year we’ll recognize my mom, and we will raise money and give it to kids like me who had a parent pass away from cancer.”It’s been nearly two decades since that first fashion show. Now, Runway events, which include fitness fundraisers and “playing for pink” games, are held year-round.Families are granted anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 for specific needs.”The things that we all know help kids, so extracurricular activities and tutoring, therapy, Boger said. We do a lot of summer camp payments; we help with child care payments.”Boger said excitement is building ahead of this year’s Boston Runway for Recovery fashion show.”This year, we have a wonderful celebrity, Elin Hilderbrand, on our stage, Boger said. She is one of my favorite authors and her books have got me through some of the hardest days in the office.”Ahead of this years fashion show, Sweet hosted a Ride for a Cure motorcycle event in memory of Allie to support Runway for Recovery.”When we got married, that was our thing. We went on rides everywhere together, Sweet said. “I’m very big on if somebody gives you a hand, you need to give one back.”The Boston Runway for Recovery fashion show with Hilderbrand is being held on Oct. 25.Find more information here.

Carlee Russell back in court for kidnapping hoax [Video]
►
Categories
Small Business Lifestyle

Carlee Russell back in court for kidnapping hoax [Video]

Carlee Russell was back in the courtroom on Wednesday for the first time since receiving her sentence in March. During the hearing in March, Russell was ordered to pay close to $18,000 in restitution, complete 100 hours of community service and continue mental health counseling.That sentence is because of the kidnapping hoax she committed in July 2023. Russell called police to report a baby on the side of I-459. After that call, she vanished, leading police to believe she had been kidnapped. Two days later, she returned home on foot.In March Russell pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of false reporting. That’s when Judge David Carpenter sentenced her to those requirements along with 12 months of supervised probation.Wednesday, Russell appeared in front of Judge Carpenter to provide an update on those requirements. Russell’s attorneys said she’s completed more than the 100 hours of community service across multiple organizations, such as the Salvation Army and Community Food Bank. They also said she’s been regularly attending counseling for mental health.The outstanding issue in the case is the restitution. Though Russell’s lawyers told Judge David Carpenter she’s been making “small, but consistent payments,” the prosecution claimed that isn’t enough.”We just ask that she have a payment plan,” the prosecutors said. “It’s kind of been a little bit inconsistent, they’re smaller payments.”According to prosecutors, Russell paid $49 in June, close to $120 in July and $30 each month in September and October. They did not provide a payment amount for August.Going forward, Russell will pay a minimum of $50 each month toward the restitution. That’s the amount Russell and her attorneys told the judge she could afford since she is currently unemployed.”I’m going to order minimum $50 a month,” Judge Carpenter said. “I know that’s not very much, but we’ll readdress that when we come back next time. Eventually, of course, once you’re working and making larger payments, ultimately this is all going to be paid.”Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis led the search for Russell in July 2023 during her kidnapping hoax. He said the $50 per month minimum is not enough given the time, effort and resources that went towards searching for her.”A year ago, we were here and the judge made a comment that he expected to see a sizable amount decreased in that fine from last year, and I think we’ve got a couple hundred dollars,” Derzis said. “We’ll meet again in March, and that’s $50 a month. By my mathematical calculation with the $50 a month, it’ll take about 28 years if we continue this.”Derzis has also been outspoken from the beginning of the case that the $18,000 restitution isn’t anywhere close to the amount of money spent in the search for Russell.”The price tag that we ended up getting, I think it was like 20-something thousand, which was minuscule compared to the actual amount,” Derzis said. “So, less than half of what we spent. We can talk about remorseful and all that stuff, bottom line is let’s pay the tab and move on.”Derzis has also been vocal about his stance that Russell’s punishment should’ve been harsher, but it wasn’t because the crime was only a misdemeanor at the time. Now, thanks to Derzis’ collaboration with the state legislature, the False Reporting Bill makes the crime a Class C felony.

Biddeford overnight center expands hours, undergoes renovations [Video]
►
Categories
Small Business Lifestyle

Biddeford overnight center expands hours, undergoes renovations [Video]

Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center says things have been going well in the three months since the city of Biddeford cleared the homeless encampment at Mechanics Park.The City Council voted in June to approve a plan to use Seeds of Hope as a temporary overnight center. The city is enforcing a no-camping rule. We just dont think its a dignified existence for anybody living outside,” said Mayor Martin Grohman. “And its not safe, especially going into the winter. Vassie Fowler, the executive director of Seeds of Hope, commented, I think we have to understand that, even though the conditions at Mechanics Park were inhumane and no one should have to live like that, that was their home. We collectively took it away from them.Maine’s Total Coverage spoke to several people moving out of the camp on July 8. Some were upset about leaving a place they called home; others were worried about the operating hours at Seeds of Hope and the size of the space. Seeds of Hope is trying to help, but they open at 7 at night, and they kick you out at 7 in the morning,” said a woman named Katherine as she carried her belongings away from the camp in July. “Where are these elderly people going to go?William E. Higgins with Homeless Advocacy for All said, Its not big enough. Its not accessible. Its small.Fowler expressed that, despite these concerns, the transition has been mostly positive. In my experience, having people in a space for 24 hours a day is not healthy. They have to have some autonomy. They have to go out. They have to think for themselves. Currently, were open 18-hours a day. Most people leave their house for a few hours every day, so at this time of year, we dont consider that a bad thing.Seeds of Hope will expand their hours in November to be open 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. They are also working to expand their space. Renovations on the second floor are expected to be finished by the end of October. Fowler said the new space will help accommodate the influx of people they expect to see as the weather turns colder. She explained, Weve operated an overnight warming center for the past six winters, so we have experience with that piece of it. I think the challenge will come in the amount of people well have. In years past, we would be in that 20-25 range. Were already at 35, and the weather is nice.Even with these improvements on the horizon, Fowler and the mayor agree there is more work to do to meet their long-term goal, which is to no longer have a need for these services.The bigger challenge is always coordinating other needs; health care, mental health, recovery, all of those types of things,” said Grohman. “Often people that are outside end up with other unhealthy behaviors that we have to really coordinate to address. That part is challenging. It continues to be challenging. We need constant help and support from the state, federal government and county to do that.Fowler expressed the need for more resources, especially when it comes to mental health. People dont live outdoors because theyre healthy,” she said. “People dont abuse substances because theyre healthy. Mental health is a big thing.”Seeds of Hope works to connects people to those needed resources. Fowler told Maine’s Total Coverage, the center has helped, on average, one person into permanent housing each week. According to Fowler, the best way for the public to help is to get involved by donating time, money or gently used items. She said, Its just important to always remember that just because you have more than some doesnt make you better than them.”