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

The authors analyze the 2024 US Court Case concerning a civil action brought by the mother of an American adolescent affected by Asperger syndrome who, after developing an emotional dependency on an artificial intelligence–based chatbot, died by suicide using his stepfather’s firearm. The action was brought against the software developer on grounds related to the design and deployment of the application. The case highlights the correlation between psychological risk factors and insufficient protective measures in the context of neurodivergent autism spectrum conditions and excessive, unregulated internet use. The analysis considers the interaction between the minor’s psychological vulnerability in engaging with the software and the lack of adequate control and safety mechanisms within the technological device. Parental responsibility also emerges, in relation to the mother’s failure to supervise her son’s digital activities and the stepfather’s breach of the legal duty to properly secure a firearm. A comparative perspective between the United States and Italy allows consideration of regulatory similarities and converging legal principles