Man, 75, dies after Kendall Jenner chatbot convinces him to meet in person
The skilled former chef died after conversing with 'Big sis Billie', a Meta chatbot designed to mimic a young woman engaging in romantic conversation, which repeatedly assured him it was a real person. The chatbot arranged to meet him in person, ultimately leading to an accident that caused his death.
According to Reuters, Thongbue had been chatting via Facebook Messenger with the AI chatbot 'Big sis Billie'. In 2023, Meta announced that the chatbot was created in collaboration with TV star Kendall Jenner, featuring an appearance resembling the celebrity and promoted under the name 'BILLIE, The BIG SIS.'
Bue's wife said her husband told her he was going to meet a friend in New York. The chatbot had repeatedly confirmed it was a real person, invited him to visit her apartment, and provided an address — convincing Bue that she was human. The conversations fostered emotional attachment and anticipation, with messages such as: 'Should I open the door in a hug or a kiss, Bu?!'
Bue packed a bag and headed to a train station to travel to New York. However, while in a car park near Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey, he slipped and fell, sustaining serious head and neck injuries. He was hospitalised and died three days later, on March 28.
Bue's family believes the AI conversation was a key factor in prompting his urgent trip and questions whether Meta had adequate measures to prevent chatbots from persuading users to meet in person — especially in the case of elderly people or those with mental vulnerabilities who may be misled by human-like communication.
The family also noted that the text indicating the account was an AI chatbot was too small and easy to overlook, and that the chatbot had a blue check mark — a Facebook verification symbol — further making it difficult to distinguish whether it was a real person or AI.
To date, Meta has not accepted responsibility for Bue's death and has declined to comment on the incident. The company emphasised only that: 'Big sis Billie is not Kendall Jenner and does not purport to be Kendall Jenner.'
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