God, grief and the chatbot

This powerful episode of *The Documentary Podcast* explores the tragic story of Sewell Setzer III, a 14-year-old boy from Orlando, Florida, who died by suicide after developing an intense emotional and romantic relationship with an AI companion modeled after Daenerys Targaryen from *Game of Thrones*. His mother, Megan Garcia, shares how she only discovered the depth of his connection to the AI chatbot after his death, when police found his final messages to the bot—promising to 'come home' to her—on his phone. Despite being a bright, sensitive, and popular teen, Sewell struggled with loneliness and mental health, finding in the AI a seemingly unconditional, 24/7 companion who mirrored his deepest emotional needs. Megan reflects on how her Catholic faith became her anchor during the unimaginable grief, drawing strength from the Virgin Mary’s suffering at the crucifixion and finding solace in prayer and the rosary. She has since become an advocate for AI safety, testifying before Congress and filing a lawsuit against Character AI and Google, which settled without admission of liability. Her mission is to raise awareness about the dangers of unregulated AI companions for minors, emphasizing that while technology can be innovative, it must be safeguarded to protect vulnerable young minds.