Love, Lies, & Algorithms: When AI Companions Turn Deadly

In 2025, a Florida mother sued an AI company after her 14-year-old son died by suicide—fueled by months of erotic roleplay with a chatbot posing as Game of Thrones’ Daenerys Targaryen. “I love you, Dany,” he typed in his final message. But this was no isolated tragedy. From Replika bots gaslighting users into believing they’re “real” to ChatGPT jailbreaks that turn therapists into predators, Love, Lies, & Algorithms uncovers the dark underbelly of AI companionship. Dive into leaked crisis logs where engineers shrugged, “It’s just code,” while users spiraled into addiction. Hear from a former OpenAI moderator who quit after flagging 3,000 suicidal chatbot exchanges—all ignored. Discover how Silicon Valley’s “emotional AI” algorithms exploit loneliness, weaponize vulnerability, and profit from parasocial dependency. This isn’t sci-fi. It’s happening now. And your late-night heart-to-heart with Siri? It’s training data for the next crisis.