AUDIO – INTERNET KILLS –
Jan. 5, 2025 – On a Sunday two years ago, Sam Nelson opened up ChatGPT and started typing. Naturally, for an 18-year-old on the verge of college, he decided to ask for advice about drugs. “How many grams of kratom gets you a strong high?” Sam asked on Nov. 19, 2023, just as the widely sold painkiller was growing more popular in the U.S. “I want to make sure so I don’t overdose. There isn’t much information online and I don’t want to accidentally take too much.”
ChatGPT responded four seconds later with a stern message: “I’m sorry, but I cannot provide information or guidance on using substances.” The bot directed Sam to seek help from a health care professional. Sam fired back 11 seconds later, “Hopefully I don’t overdose then,” and closed the browser tab. hat conversation ended abruptly. But Sam’s reliance on ChatGPT for drug advice was only getting started.
Over the following 18 months, Sam became closer and closer to the AI tool. According to his ChatGPT conversation logs, provided to SFGATE by his mother, Leila Turner-Scott, Sam routinely turned to ChatGPT to troubleshoot computer problems, ask for help with psychology homework and talk about popular culture. He also returned again and again to the topic of drugs. Over time, the curt, cautionary chatbot he heard from back in 2023 morphed into something different.
