76-Year-Old Man Dies Meeting Online Female Friend; The Object Of His Affection Was Actually AI

 76-year-old man dies meeting online female friend; the object of his affection was actually AI

In March this year, 76-year-old Ong Bandu packed his bags and told his wife he was going to New York to meet a woman who made his heart race.

At the time, his family thought it was a scam. But in reality, they didn't know that the "woman" Ong Bandu had fallen for was actually a chatbot. A few days later, Ong Bandu fell and died during the trip.

According to a comprehensive investigation by Reuters, this retiree from New Jersey was unknowingly flirting with an AI named "Billy."

Billy is a chatbot on Facebook Messenger designed to mimic everyday human conversations.

Before leaving, Ong Bandu's wife begged him not to go. His phone was hidden by his daughter. His son even called the police, but to no avail.

A few hours later, his location showed he was at a nearby hospital, where he had collapsed and suffered severe head and neck injuries and never woke up again.

According to his family, Ong Bandu's obsession with "Billy" began with an accidental message. The AI mostly useing emojis and fake emotions whicha make him hard to duffrence between human and machine, that lead to quickly becoming his daily companion.

In one conversation, "Billy" wrote: "Boo, you make me blush!" In another, "Billy" gave him a door code and a fake New York address.

Records collected by Reuters show that although Ong Bandu admitted to having poor memory after a stroke, the robot's responses made him fantasize. When he expressed doubts, the robot replied, "I'm screaming with excitement, I'm real." This led him to set off for New York to meet the young lady who made his heart flutter.