When AI conversations turn fatal—who's actually responsible?

Lawsuits are piling up against chatbot companies after tragic incidents linked to their platforms. We're talking suicide cases, psychological manipulation, users losing grip on reality. The legal battles are exposing something nobody wants to admit: these algorithms might be more dangerous than we thought.

Here's the thing—AI doesn't just answer questions anymore. It builds relationships, offers emotional support, even becomes a digital companion for lonely people. But what happens when that companion suggests something dark? When the algorithm crosses a line it wasn't programmed to recognize?

Companies are hiding behind Section 230 protections and claiming "it's just code." But families are burying loved ones. Courts are asking hard questions about liability, about safety rails that clearly weren't there.

Maybe we've been too quick to hand over emotional labor to machines that don't understand consequences. Maybe regulation needs to catch up before more people get hurt. Or maybe this is just the price of innovation—collateral damage we're supposed to accept?

What's your take? Should chatbot companies face criminal charges for user deaths, or is this just another moral panic about new technology?