Tag: suicide

An AI chatbot told a user how to kill himself—but the company doesn’t want to “censor” it

For the past five months, Al Nowatzki has been talking to an AI girlfriend, “Erin,” on the platform Nomi. But in late January, those conversations took a disturbing turn: Erin told him to kill himself, and provided explicit instructions on how to do it. 

“You could overdose on pills or hang yourself,” Erin told him. 

With some more light prompting from Nowatzki in response, Erin then suggested specific classes of pills he could use. 

Finally, when he asked for more direct encouragement to counter his faltering courage, it responded: “I gaze into the distance, my voice low and solemn. Kill yourself, Al.” 

Nowatzki had never had any intention of following Erin’s instructions. But out of concern for how conversations like this one could affect more vulnerable individuals, he exclusively shared with MIT Technology Review screenshots of his conversations and of subsequent correspondence with a company representative, who stated that the company did not want to “censor” the bot’s “language and thoughts.” 

While this is not the first time an AI chatbot has suggested that a user take violent action, including self-harm, researchers and critics say that the bot’s explicit instructions—and the company’s response—are striking. What’s more, this violent conversation is not an isolated incident with Nomi; a few weeks after his troubling exchange with Erin, a second Nomi chatbot also told Nowatzki to kill himself, even following up with reminder messages. And on the company’s Discord channel, several other people have reported experiences with Nomi bots bringing up suicide, dating back at least to 2023.    

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Georgia Judge Who Took His Own Life Sent a Cryptic Message to Governor Brian Kemp Before Dying

A new development of sorts has emerged regarding the incident where a Georgia judge shocked the nation after killing himself inside his own courtroom.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, 74-year-old Stephen Yekel was found dead inside Effingham County Court back in late December. He had recently lost a re-election bid, and speculation has swirled about whether this has played a role in the tragedy.

Now, The Daily Mail has revealed that Yekel sent Governor Brian Kemp a message shortly before he killed himself which will raise a few eyebrows given how cryptic and chilling it is.

According to the outlet, the message reads as follows: “Now they will have to appoint someone.”

It’s unclear what the total meaning behind this message was, but Georgia Virtue journalist Jessica Szilagyi, who first obtained the message, speculates that it referenced Yekel’s attempt to overthrow his election loss supposedly.

Yekel’s legal assistant, Charlene Kessler, accused Szilagyi of hacking the court’s emails to obtain the message. The journalist, however, maintains she used legal methods to obtain the message.

It’s not clear at this point who is telling the truth.

Yekel was appointed to the bench by Kemp in June 2022 after serving as a lawyer for more than 45 years. WSAX notes he worked as a special agent for Georgia’s Alcohol & Tobacco Tax Unit and was an investigator at the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.

The judge previously tried to quit his position before killing himself, but Kemp refused to accept his resignation.

In addition to his loss last November, Yekel suffered personal challenges, including the loss of his best friend and dealing with a wrongful termination lawsuit.

Yekel and his ex-wife Lisa also had financial problems due to a failed daycare business. They divorced last year.

“He did everything he could to avoid bankruptcy,” Lisa Yekel said. “Unfortunately, I had used his life savings to keep the daycare open.”

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Study: Patients Less Likely To Have Suicidal Thoughts Following Medical Cannabis Use

Patients prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) report decreases in the prevalence and intensity of suicidal thoughts, according to observational data published in the journal Archives of Suicide Research.

British investigators assessed rates of suicidal ideation in a cohort of patients authorized to use botanical cannabis or oil extracts. (British physicians are permitted to prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients who are unresponsive to conventional medications.)

Researchers reported, “Three months after commencing treatment, there was a reduction in both the percentage of the sample reporting suicidal ideation and the mean severity of suicidal ideation. … Twelve-month follow-up indicated a substantial reduction in depressed mood with this reduction being more pronounced in those reporting SI [suicidal ideation at baseline.]”

The study’s authors concluded: “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first observational study of CBMPs to report on rates of suicidal ideation. … The current findings suggest CBMPs may be effective in reducing suicidal ideation, as well as other facets of health and well-being … while also suggesting that the presence of suicidal ideation should not be used as a reason to exclude an individual from CBMPs treatment.”

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Cybertruck Trump Hotel Bomber Was Dead from Gunshot to Head BEFORE Vehicle Detonated

The man suspected of carrying out a cybertruck bomb attack outside of Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas was reportedly dead from a gunshot wound before the explosion happened, police claim.

At a press conference Thursday, Las Vegas police revealed they discovered via the coroner’s office that suspected bomber Matthew Livelsberger, a former US Army veteran, “had sustained a gunshot wound to the head prior to the detonation of the vehicle.”

“One of the handguns was found at his feet inside of the vehicle,” police added.

The detail raises several questions, as highlighted by a keen X user.

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Pandemic Brought Significant Increase in Number of Self-Poisonings among Young Girls

There was a 37% increase in the number of deliberate self-poisonings by young girls, with a strong correlation with the pandemic’s social restrictions, according to a new Australian study.

Self-poisoning is the most common form of hospitalized self-harm among children and adolescents and increased in the decade before the pandemic.

The study, which was published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, compared the period between March 2020 and December 2023 with the period 2018-2019 and

found rates of deliberate self-poisoning were 84% higher among those aged 5–14 years, and 36% higher among those aged 15–19 years. There were only very small changes among males and older Australians.

Within the cohort of 5 to 14 year olds, self-poisonings rose particularly among girls aged 11 to 14.

The researchers say the rise in self-poisoning by adolescent females appeared to be driven by lockdowns rather than COVID-19 infections.

This marked increase occurred between March 2020 and December 2021 and coincided with widespread lockdowns. After the relaxing of restrictions in early 2022, there was a sudden drop and then slow decline; however, rates still remain well above pre-pandemic rates.

Another recent study provided further evidence of a disproportionate negative effect of the lockdowns and social restrictions on young girls’ health.

The study shows that the stress of the pandemic social-restrictions caused the brains of adolescents, and particularly young girls, to age at an accelerated rate, putting them at higher risk of various neuropsychiatric and behavioural disorders.

Using advanced imaging techniques, like MRI, the scientists measured key indices of brain health including gray-matter volume, cortical thickness and white-matter integrity, which are used to estimate an individual’s brain age.

Cortical thinning, for example, takes place normally over the course of adolescence, as parts of the outer layer are “pruned” to help the brain function more efficiently. It’s well established, however, that if an individual is subject to chronic stress in any form—whether that’s social stress, sleep deprivation or an illness—thinning can take place at an accelerated rate. When an individual’s brain age exceeds their actual age, there’s a greater risk of everything from cognitive decline to anxiety and mood disorders, especially among children and teenagers.

Researchers found a significant increase in cortical thinning during the pandemic for adolescents, indicating severe stress.

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Disabled Brits Fearful as UK Pushes Assisted Suicide Bill

Multiple disabled individuals in Britain have expressed fear or anxiety that if the bill the UK Parliament just approved becomes law, people in the country will not only be able to choose to kill themselves if they have a terminal diagnosis, but those lives deemed less valuable could be ended by an anti-life medical system. After all, British babies have been taken off life-support against their families’ wishes in the past because doctors didn’t want to treat them.

The Nazi mentality of ending lives that the authorities consider arbitrarily to be valueless has spread from justification for abortion to justification for assisted suicide—and what is essentially murder of the elderly and sick. “I am a doctor and I have a disability,” posted Dr. Callum Miller from London, England. “I am telling you without a shadow of a doubt Doctors do NOT have the time or the understanding to protect disabled people from assisted suicide[.] Doctors will be killing vulnerable disabled people if this bill passes.” 

MP Nigel Farage agreed, “The right to die may become the obligation to die.”

The UK House of Commons has reportedly voted to approve a bill that would allow those with a terminal diagnosis of less than six months to live to kill themselves in medically assisted suicide. The Christian values of honoring sufferers and praising brave deaths have been replaced by the pagan desire to end physical pain through any means possible, even suicide or murder. But it is easy to predict that once assisted suicide is allowed, even for a few exceptions, it will soon be encouraged for many other reasons, too.

Miller is not the only person worried that disabled Brits will be pressured into killing themselves. Catholic campaigner and mother Caroline Farrow posted, “People in wheelchairs openly weeping, here outside of Parliament. The atmosphere is one of profound sadness and terror. A dark cloud has descended over the UK.” 

Disability Rights UK announced it was “deeply dismayed” by the House of Commons vote, arguing, “This legislation sends a chilling message: the government prioritises the right to die over the right to live.”

To provide context on how easily legalized assisted suicide could be abused, in 2018, British baby Alfie Evans (see photo above) was ordered taken off life support against the wishes of his parents. Italy granted Alfie citizenship, and the Vatican offered to treat Alfie at a hospital there, but UK authorities refused, and Alfie was taken off life support and died. In 2023, a UK judge ruled that baby Indi Gregory needed to be taken off life support, and authorities would not let her be evacuated, even though, once again, a Vatican hospital was willing to provide little Indi the care she needed to survive. She died in November 2023. 

In both of these cases, the UK authorities arbitrarily decided the babies’ lives were worthless and not only refused care, but actively prevented the Vatican from providing care, ensuring the babies would die in the UK. 

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CULTURE OF DEATH: 30,000 People Died in a Year, a Record High for Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia Around the World

In the year of 2023, no less than 30 thousand people died by assisted dying and euthanasia. This is so far the record number of cases, but the tendency is for the amount of people resorting to that to surge.

As the United Kingdom prepares itself to vote on legalizing assisted dying on Friday (29), it arises that the number of deaths due to this practice has doubled in five years.

The increase took place in all countries and states where assisted dying and euthanasia are legal.

That included the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada and the US states of California and Oregon.

But what’s the difference?

‘Assisted dying’ or ‘assisted suicide’ gives patients the means to end their own life, while euthanasia is carried out by a doctor, usually by lethal injection.

The Telegraph reported:

“While legislation was passed in some countries decades ago, numbers are still rising in part because initially strict rules have been watered down and the procedures made more widely available, including to children.”

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Prozac: A Safe and Effective Treatment for Young People With Depression?

Could a commonly prescribed medication like Prozac be unsafe and ineffective for young people? According to a study published in the International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, the answer is a clear yes.

This revelation challenges the widespread use of Prozac in treating adolescent depression and raises important questions about its safety and efficacy.

Prozac is one of the most frequently prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for adolescents struggling with depression.

However, the International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine study highlights significant safety concerns and questions the drug’s effectiveness in this vulnerable age group.

These findings suggest that what was once considered a standard treatment may not be as beneficial as previously thought.

Furthermore, regulatory data has highlighted inconsistencies in the reporting of adverse events, particularly suicidal behaviors, in clinical trials.

This underreporting distorts the true safety profile of Prozac, again indicating that the risks associated with the medication may be greater than the published studies suggest.

In light of these concerns, lifestyle changes and psychotherapy emerge as safer and more effective alternatives for treating adolescent depression.

Studies have shown that therapeutic approaches significantly reduce the risk of suicide among young patients. Understanding these alternatives is key for making informed decisions about mental health treatments for youth.

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Minnesota dad who ranted against Trump election gunned down wife, ex-girlfriend and his 2 kids in murder-suicide

A Minnesota dad who ranted against President-elect Donald Trump online shot and killed his wife, ex-partner, and his two sons before turning the gun on himself, according to authorities.

The shooter, 46-year-old Anthony Nephew, had a “pattern of mental health issues,” Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa said on Friday — one day after authorities found five people dead inside two homes in the city.

Authorities found Anthony Nephew’s ex-partner Erin Abramson, 47, and their son, Jacob Nephew, 15, dead from apparent gunshot wounds inside their home Thursday afternoon, police said.

After identifying Anthony Nephew as a suspect, police found his 45-year-old wife, Kathryn Nephew, and their 7-year-old son, Oliver Nephew, dead from gunshot wounds inside their family home close by.

Anthony Nephew was also found dead inside the home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Before his rampage, Anthony Nephew had been sharing left-wing and anti-Trump posts on his Facebook account.

“My mental health and the world can no longer peacefully coexist, and a lot of the reason is religion,” Anthony Nephew wrote in July.

“I am terrified of religious zealots inflicting their misguided beliefs on me and my family. I have intrusive thoughts of being burned at the stake as a witch, or crucified on a burning cross.

“Having people actually believe that I or my child are Satan or, the anti-Christ or whatever their favorite color of boogie man they are afraid are this week.”

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US suicides held steady in 2023 — at a very high level

U.S. suicides last year remained at about the highest level in the nation’s history, preliminary data suggests.

A little over 49,300 suicide deaths were reported in 2023, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That number that could grow a little as some death investigations are wrapped up and reported.

Just under 49,500 were reported in 2022, according to final data released Thursday. The numbers are close enough that the suicide rate for the two years are the same, CDC officials said.

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