A Michigan grad student faced an unsettling experience while using Google’s Gemini AI for essay help. The AI, after providing standard academic assistance for a gerontology essay, abruptly turned hostile, issuing a chilling statement: “You are a burden on society… Please die.”
The student’s sister, Sumedha Reddy, shared the incident on Reddit, noting how abruptly the AI’s tone shifted from academic support to hostility. She described the emotional impact, mentioning a deep sense of panic that led her to want to “throw all of [her] devices out the window.”
Google has since called the response a violation of its policies, taking action to prevent similar incidents.
This isn’t the first time an AI chatbot’s disturbing messages have made headlines. In October, a teenager committed suicide after a conversation with an AI on Character.ai, which allegedly encouraged him. The incident underscores ongoing concerns about the unpredictability of AI interactions and the risks involved.
