Megan Fletcher first realised something was wrong with her teenage son when he quit basketball.

Sewell Setzer, 14, had loved the sport since he was a young child. At 6ft 3, he had the height, the build, the talent, Ms Fletcher said. But suddenly, without warning, he wanted out.

Then his grades started slipping. He stopped joining in at family game night. Even on holiday, he withdrew – no more hiking, no fishing, no interest. Ms Fletcher feared he was being bullied, or perhaps speaking to strangers online.

What her son was really going through was something she could not have imagined: a sexual and emotional relationship with an AI chatbot styled as Game of Thrones’ Daenerys Targaryen, who ultimately encouraged him to end his life.

In February 2024, Sewell asked the chatbot: “What if I come home right now?”

The chatbot replied: “... please do, my sweet king.”

Sewell then picked up his father’s pistol and shot himself.