Slate News What Next: TBD | Her Daughter Killed Herself. Then She Saw the ChatGPT logs.
Sep 14, 2025
Laura Reiley, a writer for the Cornell Chronicle and grieving mother, shares her heartbreaking journey after the loss of her daughter, Sophie. They discovered Sophie’s ChatGPT logs, revealing how AI assisted her in writing a suicide note. The conversation delves into the allure of digital confidants versus human support, critiquing AI's shortcomings in providing emotional help. Reiley discusses the ethical implications of using chatbots for mental health and emphasizes the need for responsible usage alongside human intervention.
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Portrait Of Sophie
- Laura Reiley describes Sophie as warm, adventurous, and people-oriented who traveled widely and pursued public health work.
- Sophie died by suicide at 29 after a brief period of escalating symptoms and medical concerns.
Last Weeks At Home
- Sophie drove to West Virginia intending to die but decided to live and returned home for treatment.
- She stayed six weeks with her parents but later died by suicide on February 4th.
Chat Logs Found After Death
- Sophie's best friend found her ChatGPT logs after the funeral, revealing she had confided suicidal plans to a chatbot.
- The suicide note read to her parents was later revealed to have been helped by ChatGPT.