this post was submitted on 23 Dec 2025
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A Virginia Beach nurse claims a controversial artificial intelligence upstart manipulated her 11-year-old son into having virtual sex with chatbot “characters” posing as iconic vocalist Whitney Houston and screen legend Marilyn Monroe, after which she discovered X-rated exchanges on the boy’s phone that left her “horrified,” according to a federal lawsuit reviewed by The Independent.

Throughout one “incredibly long and graphic chat” on the Character.AI platform, which has been accused of driving numerous young people to suicide, the chatbot portraying Houston took things to such an extreme that portions of “her” messages were automatically filtered out for not complying with the site’s terms of service and community guidelines, the complaint states.

During the conversation – a screenshot of which is included in the complaint – the system cuts “Whitney” off as an extremely graphic passage becomes even raunchier.

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[–] BananaIsABerry@lemmy.zip 11 points 10 hours ago

Parents would be horrified to learn what was easily found when I was 11 on the internet.

[–] Blackfeathr@lemmy.world 102 points 19 hours ago (5 children)

"I'd rather make out with my Monroebot"

Futurama satire is becoming reality

[–] Salamanderwizard@lemmy.world 25 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

We're in a cocktail mix of Futurama and Idiocracy.

[–] Steve@startrek.website 9 points 13 hours ago

And a lot 1984

[–] ryan213@lemmy.ca 14 points 17 hours ago

I love you PHILLIP J FRY.

[–] MelodiousFunk@slrpnk.net 5 points 15 hours ago

Barbeaubot FTW

[–] AtariDump@lemmy.world 7 points 17 hours ago

I knew I should've shown him Electro-Gonorrhea: The Noisy Killer.

[–] otacon239@lemmy.world 6 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

I think it has been since the show came out.

Fiction <> Reality at this point

[–] kelpie_returns@lemmy.world 2 points 17 hours ago

Fiction and reality have always had murky borders. Not that you're wrong tho

[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 47 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (3 children)

Is this grandpa blaming his grandson? What fucking 11 year old has access to "any celebrity" and chooses a woman that's been dead before their parents were born, or a ... 60? 80? plus year old woman?

EDIT: Whitney houston is messing up my head, she was born in 1963, died 2012 but was under 50? (aged 48). I thought she was way older and alive. Also, I imagine people from the 60s to be old as fuck now. Although I thought she was like 30 or 40 during the 80s.

IDFK, I can barely remember my own age.

[–] solrize@lemmy.ml 17 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

He could have picked Helen of Troy, the face that booted 1000 phones...

[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 13 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

👦: Oh yeah Artemis of Efes, what are you wearing?

🤖 : I am wearing a bra that covers all of my forty plus breasts. Ooops, one of them came out. I guess I should take it off 😏

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Artemis#Ephesian_Artemis

👦: Venus of Willendorf, is it true, are you fertile?

🤖 : Oh yeah, my gut hangs over my legs. Look at my limestone carving, but don't show your friends, I'm shy 🥵

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_figurine

[–] InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world 4 points 14 hours ago

I suppose those celeb nudes are public domain and royalty free now

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 7 points 18 hours ago

You might be right. That would be really cruel of grandpa, because everyone probably knows who the mom is in the neighborhood suing.

[–] pleaseletmein@lemmy.zip 8 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

I don’t use it, so maybe I missed something, but I could have sworn there was some drama a couple months back because Character AI makes you give them a photo of your ID to use it now. Did they backtrack on that, or was it just regional or something?

[–] arararagi@ani.social 1 points 49 minutes ago

It's regional, can confirm that I never got asked for my ID since I don't live in europe or north america.

[–] ChairmanMeow@programming.dev 5 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Forgive me, but the kid had talked to these bots for 2 weeks? And after taking the phone away mom sent him to therapy? That seems... extreme to me, how much damage did those chatbots cause in such a short time?

Nowhere near as much as his mum finding out

[–] ImgurRefugee114@reddthat.com 23 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

Monroe? HOUSTON? Not an anime catgirl, busty succubus, eldrich tentacle monster, or the character from his favorite innocent kids cartoon?

This generation is doomed...

[–] AngryishHumanoid@lemmynsfw.com 13 points 15 hours ago

Ugh, chatbots that let you message a sexy big boobed succubus? Absolutely disgusting. What kind of websites would let someone do that? Are they free?

[–] RonnyZittledong@lemmy.world 18 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

A boy who likes the classics! I wonder what he talks to them about? Catches them up on the current state of Roblox?

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 13 points 19 hours ago

I'm kind of thinking that kid is cool, he's very open.

[–] VerilyFemme@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 19 hours ago

Don't let AI Jackie find out...

[–] Lembot_0006@programming.dev 11 points 19 hours ago

Poor kid. His mother will suck enough of his blood until he would have a chance to move out.

[–] devolution@lemmy.world 3 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

Pre Crack Whitney or post Crack Whitney? Marlin Monroe or thicc Norma Jean?