The Elon-ction + Can A.I. Be Blamed for a Teen’s Suicide?

Note: This episode contains mentions of suicide. This week, how Elon Musk became a main character in this year’s election, and what that means for the future of tech and of the country. Plus, the journalist Laurie Segall joins us to discuss the tragic case of a teenager who became obsessed with an A.I. companion bot and later died by suicide. We discuss what A.I. companies could do to make their apps safer for children. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources. Guest:Laurie Segall, chief executive of Mostly Human Media Additional Reading:Elon Musk’s Big Business and Conflicts of Interest With the U.S. GovernmentCan a Chatbot Named Daenerys Targaryen Be Blamed for a Teen’s Suicide? Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.