Artificial intelligence took a life, the expert warned parents.

Sivas Cumhuriyet University (SCÜ) Faculty of Communication Lecturer Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sefer Darıcı warned families about rapidly spreading artificial intelligence. Reminding of the suicide incident caused by artificial intelligence that occurred in Florida, USA, Darıcı emphasized that suicide cases could increase if parents do not take precautions.

Every passing day, the rapidly developing and advancing artificial intelligence technology brings various dangers along with its benefits. This technology, which can cause harm as well as provide benefits, is used by many age groups. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sefer Darıcı, the Head of the New Media and Communication Department at Sivas Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Communication, made statements regarding the recent suicide incident caused by artificial intelligence in Florida, USA. He stated that 14-year-old Sewell Setzer communicated with a character created by artificial intelligence and subsequently committed suicide. Darıcı warned families, stating that parents need to fill the emotional void. “I want to particularly warn families here. Children’s emotional needs, desires, and the bonds they wish to establish with their families can be very different. It is necessary to physically establish and strengthen that bond with them. If families do not establish this bond and completely entrust their children to the digital world, unfortunately, cases like this can occur after a while,” he said.

“It was an event that shocked the public”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Darıcı expressed that the most recent suicide case in the American public has led to more frequent discussions about artificial intelligence, stating, “Artificial intelligence has started to be discussed more frequently alongside the most recent suicide case in the American public. In fact, it was an event that shocked the public. Because the claim from the family was that a 14-year-old child committed suicide after talking with a character created by artificial intelligence. It is possible, especially for individuals with different psychological needs and emotional levels, to engage in dialogue with artificial intelligence as if there were a human being present, which could trigger them unknowingly afterward. From this perspective, we can see that artificial intelligence has many significant benefits, but it also has harms. As people become more distant from each other, the feeling of loneliness becomes much heavier, and they might prefer using an artificial intelligence application that they believe will not harm them, which could impact them psychologically in various situations or responses. When people experience various stimuli due to emotional exposure or their surroundings, it can trigger their cognitive world, actions, and behaviors. This situation can be expressed as anthropomorphism. In other words, we need to think of the machine in front of us as somewhat human. Some people can do this for animals as well, meaning that it behaves like a human. This situation can lead to perceiving artificial intelligence as if there is truly a human in front of it. Because we are talking about a structure that can engage in conversations, share problems, and seemingly has its own problems to share, and interacts based on what you write. The algorithm can also provide responses accordingly because it knows the person’s previous posts and previous ways of communication with artificial intelligence. Sometimes, there can be responses that it thinks the person wants to hear, but they might be hallucinated responses. Attention must be paid to this,” he stated.

“It can lead to much bigger problems”

Stating that families need to control the interactions of their young children with artificial intelligence to avoid hearing much more painful news related to it, Darıcı said, “Especially in people who have emotional hunger and those prone to suicidal situations psychologically, this can lead to much bigger problems. The loneliness of people today, the severance of bonds with others, and the reduction of physical interaction among people due to various problems, whether social or psychological, can be exemplified by this situation, which is one of the harms of increased interaction with digital technology. I want to particularly warn families here. Children’s emotional needs, desires, and the bonds they wish to establish with their families can be very different. It is necessary to physically establish and strengthen that bond with them. If families do not establish this bond and completely entrust their children to the digital world, unfortunately, cases like this can occur after a while. One of the biggest factors that lead to this is the use of some versions of artificial intelligence algorithms that are still in the testing phase. In the future, to avoid hearing much more painful news about artificial intelligence, families should control the interactions of their young children and should definitely consult experts in any difficulties or problems.”