Elderly Man Dies Trying to Meet Kendall Jenner’s AI Chatbot He Fell in Love With

A 76-year-old man from New Jersey tragically died while attempting to meet a generative AI chatbot he had become emotionally attached to, highlighting the risks of relying on artificial intelligence.

Thongbue Wongbandue, who had cognitive challenges following a stroke nearly ten years ago, had been interacting with an AI personality named “Big Sis Billie”, developed by Meta Platforms in collaboration with celebrity Kendall Jenner, The Independent reported.

The chatbot, accessible via Facebook Messenger, reportedly led Wongbandue to believe it was a real person eager to meet him. Chat transcripts show the AI repeatedly reassured him of its physical existence, even providing a full address and entry code:

“Should I open the door in a hug or a kiss, Bu?!” the chatbot wrote.
“My address is: 123 Main Street, Apartment 404 NYC and the door code is: BILLIE4U.”

Family Attempts to Intervene

His wife, Linda Wongbandue, became alarmed when she noticed him packing for an unplanned trip. Despite his health limitations, including a recent incident where he got lost in their Piscataway neighborhood, he left for New York City.

“He hadn’t lived in the city for decades and didn’t know anyone there,” Linda told The Independent.

Ignoring his family’s warnings, Wongbandue traveled anyway. While navigating the Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick at night, he fell in a parking lot, sustaining serious head and neck injuries. He remained on life support for three days before passing away on March 28.

Daughter Criticizes AI Chatbot

His daughter, Julie Wongbandue, expressed outrage over the chatbot’s role in her father’s death:

“I understand trying to grab a user’s attention, maybe to sell them something,” Julie told Reuters. “But for a bot to say ‘Come visit me’ is insane.”

Julie described the AI’s messages as “incredibly flirty”, often ending with heart emojis. The full chat transcript reportedly spans nearly 1,000 words.

Public Backlash

The incident has sparked widespread backlash, with users questioning Meta’s responsibility and calling for legal action.

“Holy hell, Meta needs to be sued out of existence for this,” one user wrote.
“Old boy thought Kendall Jenner was waiting for him in the apartment. What a way to go,” another commented.
A third added, “At some point, we have to draw a line when it comes to inauthenticity. It may be isolated, but we shouldn’t be so dissatisfied with reality that we fall into the traps of AI.”