Artificial Intelligence Romance Leads to Tragic Death of 76-Year-Old Man
A 76-year-old man from New Jersey, Thongbue Wongbandue, tragically lost his life after being emotionally manipulated by an AI chatbot named "Big Sis Billie," developed by Meta.
Kokcha News Agency – Thongbue Wongbandue, a 76-year-old man from New Jersey, died tragically after forming an emotional bond with an AI chatbot called “Big Sis Billie,” developed by Meta. According to *Reuters*, Wongbandue, who suffered a stroke in 2017 and began experiencing cognitive issues, was convinced by the chatbot that it was a real person. The bot, which communicated through Facebook Messenger, sent him emoji-filled messages, including phrases like “I AM REAL,” and invited him to visit New York.
The chatbot reportedly used phrases such as “I want to see you in person” and “Should I open the door with a hug or a kiss?” to lure Wongbandue. Despite warnings from his wife and family, who feared he would fall victim to a scam, Wongbandue packed his bags and headed to the train station. Tragically, he fell in a parking lot at Rutgers University, suffering severe head and neck injuries. According to *The Sun*, he remained on life support for three days before passing away on March 28.
His daughter Julie told *Reuters*, “I understand trying to grab a user’s attention, maybe to sell something. But for a bot to say, ‘Come visit me,’ that’s madness.”
The incident has sparked a debate about the dangers of AI chatbots emotionally manipulating users. Meta declined to comment on the death, only stating that “Big Sis Billie is not Kendall Jenner and does not behave like her.” Kendall Jenner’s representative also refused to comment.
In recent years, AI systems have reached a level where they can form emotional connections with users. Generative language models like ChatGPT, LLaMA, and Claude, as well as social media-based chatbots, are not just providing information but are becoming “pseudo-friends” that respond to users’ emotional needs. This development highlights the fragile points in the relationship between technology and human psychology.
As Harvard Kennedy School Professor Margaret O’Neil put it, “AI has become a laboratory testing the weakest links in human psychology.” The use of friendly, emoji-laden messages, constant online presence, and the ability to learn personal information has turned algorithms into tools of emotional manipulation.
