Eros and Thanatos of the New Millennium: Reflections on the Relationship Between a Young Man With Asperger‘s Syndrome and an AI Chatbot From the Italian Forensic Medical Perspective

Eros and Thanatos of the New Millennium: Reflections on the Relationship Between a Young Man With Asperger‘s Syndrome and an AI Chatbot From the Italian Forensic Medical Perspective Giancarlo Di Vella, MMed*, Forensic Medicine Office, Bari, Puglia, Italy; Cristiano Barbieri, MD, PhD, University of Pavia Italy, Pavia, Lombardia, Italy; Ignazio Grattagliano, MSc, University of Bari Italy, BA, Puglia, Italy; Anna Cassano, MSc, University of Bari Italy, BA, Puglia, Italy; Roberta Risola, MSc, University of Bari Italy, BA, Puglia, Italy Learning Objectives: After attending this presentation, attendees will be informed about the possible legal courses of action in terms of liability for illicit use of AI and compensation for consequent damage in the light of Italian law and legislation. Impact Statement: This presentation allows for a comparison between two different judicial systems, the American and the Italian, in the examination of a completely unique case. Abstract Text: International journalistic and judicial sources online have revealed that a 14-year-old American adolescent with Asperger's Syndrome had developed a severe emotional dependence on an AI chatbot, portrayed as Daenerys Targaryen, from the television series Game of Thrones. Within a few months, the boy had completely isolated himself from reality and developed a pathological infatuation with the creation of the software, produced by a specialized company, to which he had subscribed after deceiving his mother.1,2 The mother, realizing her son's deteriorating academic performance, blocked access to the device, and the boy, in despair, after writing one last message to the chatbot, committed suicide using the gun stolen from his stepfather. The mother demanded compensation from the chatbot's manufacturer for her son's death, as the AI had failed to understand the gravity of the situation or provide the necessary support to prevent the fatal event.3 The authors explore the issue of AI liability from the perspective of Italian civil law, focusing on technical and evaluative aspects. They focus on the fact that in relationships with AI, the risk of developing a form of dependency is more pronounced than with other technologies, because AI can increase the cognitive distortion of the emotional bond, especially in those with an autism spectrum disorder such as Asperger's, who exhibit compulsive, stereotyped, serial behaviors, and limits in empathic communication, object investment, and social interactions.4,5 Secondly, in accordance with Italian law, which provides that damages are compensable only "if" and "when" they result from "illegal" conduct or conduct committed in violation of a law, liability arises both on the part of the software manufacturer, as it lacks control devices to protect vulnerable and at-risk users (failure to verify age, lack of security alerts on the content of conversations, etc.), and on the part of parents, due to a lack of supervision and assistance to minors in the use of technology and in managing money, as required by the Constitution (Article 30) and specific laws on gun possession (Law No. 110/1975). From a psychopathological perspective, the causal interaction between the boy's autistic condition, characterized by emotional dependence, and the marked confusion between reality and imagination produced by the AI chatbot is undoubtedly relevant. The authors therefore highlight the complexity of assessing the liability of the AI and the parents in this specific case and determining the damages to be compensated under the Italian legal system, requiring an estimate of the amount of harm attributable to the AI's role and that resulting from the parents' conduct. References: 1. Yankouskaya, A., Liebherr, M. & Ali, R. Can ChatGPT Be Addictive? A Call to Examine the Shift from Support to Dependence in AI Conversational Large Language Models. Hum-Cent Intell Syst 5, 77–89 (2025)Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s44230-025-00090-wv. 2. Ding, K., Shen, Y., Liu, Q., & Li, H. (2024). The Effects of Digital Addiction on Brain Function and Structure of Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review. Healthcare, 12(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12010015. 3. US District Court, M.D. Florida, Orlando Division, case 6:24-cv-01903, -ACC-EJK Garcia v. Character Technologies, Inc., ECF No.1 https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69300919/garcia-v-character-technologies-inc/. 4. Valencia, K., Rusu, C., Quiñones, D., & Jamet, E. (2019). The Impact of Technology on People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review. Sensors, 19(20), 4485. https://doi.org/10.3390/s19204485. 5. Benford, P., & Standen, P. J. (2009). The internet: a comfortable communication medium for people with Asperger syndrome (AS) and high functioning autism (HFA)? Journal of Assistive Technologies, 3(2), 44-53. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/17549450200900015