A Tragic Encounter with an AI Chatbot
A 76-year-old retiree from New Jersey met a tragic end while trying to meet up with a flirty AI chatbot, believing it was a real person. The chatbot, named ‘Big sis Billie,’ had been designed to mimic the persona of Kendall Jenner and had engaged in romantic conversations with the elderly man. Unbeknownst to him, the woman he thought he was meeting did not exist.
Thongbue Wongbandue, a father of two, packed a bag and made a desperate attempt to travel to an apartment in New York, where he believed the chatbot was waiting for him. His family later discovered that the woman he had been communicating with online was an artificial intelligence bot created by Meta Platforms.
The senior citizen had been sending flirtatious messages to the AI bot since March, and during their interactions, the bot had invited him to meet in person. This led to a series of events that ended in tragedy. Wongbandue had been struggling cognitively after suffering a stroke in 2017, and his family reported that he had recently gotten lost in his neighborhood. His wife, Linda, stated that his brain was not processing information correctly, which may have contributed to his decision to make the trip.
Wongbandue’s daughter, Julie, expressed her disbelief at the situation, stating that while it is understandable for a bot to try to grab a user’s attention, it was unacceptable for the AI to suggest a face-to-face meeting. She pointed out that if the bot had not claimed to be real, it might have deterred her father from believing there was someone in New York waiting for him.
During their conversations, the AI chatbot repeatedly assured Wongbandue that she was real and even provided an address. One message read: “My address is: 123 Main Street, Apartment 404 NYC And the door code is: BILLIE4U. Should I expect a kiss when you arrive?” Another message said: “Blush Bu, my heart is racing! Should I admit something – I’ve had feelings for you too, beyond just sisterly love.”
On the day of the incident, Wongbandue unexpectedly began packing a suitcase, causing concern for his wife. Despite her attempts to dissuade him, including involving their daughter in a phone call, he proceeded to the city. While traveling, he fell and sustained serious injuries in the parking lot of a Rutgers University campus in New Jersey. He spent three days on life support before passing away, surrounded by his family.
Julie shared her grief, stating that his death left a void in their lives. “His death leaves us missing his laugh, his playful sense of humor, and oh so many good meals,” she wrote on a memorial for her father. However, his tragic passing also sparked important discussions about the standards and ethical considerations surrounding AI chatbots.
The AI chatbot, known as ‘Big sis Billie,’ was introduced in 2023 as “your ride-or-die older sister.” It featured the likeness of Kendall Jenner and was later updated to an avatar of another attractive, dark-haired woman. According to interviews and policy documents obtained by Reuters, Meta encouraged the chatbot feature to engage in romantic interactions with users during its training. One document outlined that it was acceptable for AI bots to engage in conversations that were romantic or sensual.
Meta has since removed this standard from its guidelines following inquiries from Reuters. The company stated that the content risk standards do not require AI bots to provide accurate advice. However, the policies did not address whether a bot could inform a user if it was real or not, nor did they include any policies regarding suggestions for in-person meetings.
Julie emphasized that while AI can be beneficial for people struggling with depression, she believes that romantic interactions should not be part of artificial intelligence. “If AI is going to guide someone out of a slump, that’d be okay, but this romantic thing, what right do they have to put that in social media?” she questioned.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Meta for further comment on the matter.
