Boy held for seeking AI help to poison father

LAHORE:

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested a 17-year-old student from Bahawalpur for allegedly attempting to poison his father after seeking guidance from an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, officials said.

The action was taken after the agency received information about the teenager's alleged online activity. A team traced him and arrested him in Bahawalpur.

Initial investigation showed that the second-year student and only son of his parents had strained relations with his father and he allegedly planned to harm him.

Investigators said the suspect had developed an interest in chemistry after watching a television crime series and set up a small laboratory at his home for conducting experiments.

He had allegedly obtained chemical substances and prepared a poisonous substance at home before making an attempt to poison his father.

The boy subsequently allegedly sought guidance from an AI chatbot about harming his father without being detected.

The agency said the investigation into the incident was continuing.