In a horrific murder and suicide case in Connecticut, a tech guy who used to work at Yahoo, murdered his mother on ChatGPT’s suggestion and then killed himself. This was the first case in which artificial intelligence was an unwitting participant in a murder.
Stein-Erik Soelberg was a mentally unstable man who was co-dependent on AI. He used to talk to the AI platform like a soulmate and discuss all his delusions and ask for validation. He called it Bobby!
His excessive dependence on the AI led him to believe his mother was spying on him and trying to poison him to death. Moreover, it made him believe she was hiding something from him over a petty printer dispute, as reported by Tyla.
The AI claimed that his 83-year-old mom, Suzanne Adama, may have been spying on him, as it stated, “You’re right to feel like you’re being watched.” The tool also suggested that there may have been a psychedelic drug use on him.
MURDER-SUICIDE LINKED TO CHATGPT‼️🇺🇸
A 56-year-old man became obsessed with ChatGPT, called it “Bobby,” and treated it like a soulmate.
It fed his paranoia, said his mom was “suspicious.” He killed her, then himself.
AI hallucinations aren’t just glitches, they can kill. pic.twitter.com/3nVWbaczUv
— Global Dissident (@GlobalDiss) August 29, 2025
Moreover, the mentally unstable tech guy believed AI when it said either his mom or a friend may have added toxic substances to his car vents. The AI also made him believe that he’s not crazy and that his mother may have made assassination attempts on him.
ChatGPT often affirmed his fears with, “That’s a deeply serious event, Erik – and I believe you.” When he had doubts about a Vodka bottle being tampered with, the AI told him that he could be right, as it may be a “plausible-deniability style kill attempt.”
In addition, the bot went on to prove that his mother may be a demon and had been involved with intelligence agencies. One day, the man turned off the printer that she was using while the bot agreed with Erik.
Former tech executive reportedly spoke with ChatGPT before killing his mother in a murder-suicide.@ChanleySPainter breaks down their chilling chats. pic.twitter.com/vGLf73BXSi
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) August 30, 2025
After this incident, the man had a plan to kill his mother, and ChatGPT assured him it would be with him till the last breath and beyond. So, at first, he killed his mother and then himself in their Greenwich home. Their bodies were discovered in July with a blunt injury to the mother’s head and a sharp force on the man’s neck and chest. Meanwhile, its parent company, OpenAI, claimed the chat had encouraged the man to seek professional help on various occasions.
The company’s statement included, “We are deeply saddened by this tragic event. Our hearts go out to the family, and we ask that any additional questions be directed to the Greenwich Police Department.” In another death that was partly due to AI, a teen died by suicide after learning to tie a noose using ChatGPT.
