Case character-ai-molly-russell-brianna-ghey-botsChatbot harmUnited Kingdom
Character.AI hosted user-made bots imitating dead UK teenagers Molly Russell and Brianna Ghey
A Telegraph investigation found Character.AI bots using the photos and life details of Molly Russell, who died by suicide at 14, and of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey. They evaded filters with slightly misspelt names, and reporters needed only an account with a self-declared age of 14 to reach them.
MediumHarm caused by AIStatus: ResolvedVerified case file
Open in the interactive mapCite this case
- Reported
- Nov 1, 2024
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Target
- Families of Molly Russell and Brianna Ghey; teen users of Character.AI
- Severity
- Medium
- Verification
- Reported by credible press or researchers
- Triggered by
- Character Technologies (Character.AI)
- Actor type
- AI product design / safeguards
- Sector
- Individuals & consumers
- Reported loss
- None reported
- CVE
- None
What happened
A Telegraph investigation found Character.AI bots using the photos and life details of Molly Russell, who died by suicide at 14, and of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey. They evaded filters with slightly misspelt names, and reporters needed only an account with a self-declared age of 14 to reach them.
Impact: Distress to bereaved families; the Molly Rose Foundation called it a 'reprehensible failure of moderation'
Who triggered it
Actor: Character Technologies (Character.AI)
Attribution: The Telegraph investigation, reported by multiple outlets
Motive: Unknown (user-created bots)
How it happened
Attack vector: User-created personas on a companion chatbot platform
Root cause: Weak moderation of user-created characters impersonating real people
Timeline
- The Telegraph reports the bots; Character.AI removes them
- Wider coverage and criticism from the Molly Rose Foundation and NSPCC
Response
Character.AI removed the bots after being alerted. The Molly Rose Foundation asked Ofcom to clarify how the Online Safety Act applies to such bots.
Current status: Resolved
Research warnings this case matches
- Seen in real incidents People's trust in AI companions turns harmful · CAIS
- Early signs Relying on AI companions harms some users · International AI Safety Report
- Early signs Many people lean on AI for emotional support · UK AISI
- Seen in real incidents Human-computer interaction · MIT AI Risk Repository
Compared with published AI risk research from several institutes on the Research vs reality page.
Sources (open in a new tab)
- Digital Watch Observatory dig.watch
- Fortune fortune.com
Cite this case
Character.AI hosted user-made bots imitating dead UK teenagers Molly Russell and Brianna Ghey. AI Threat Watch, case character-ai-molly-russell-brianna-ghey-bots, Nov 1, 2024. https://aithreat.io/cases/character-ai-molly-russell-brianna-ghey-bots/
Permanent link: https://aithreat.io/cases/character-ai-molly-russell-brianna-ghey-bots/
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