'Breaking Bad' inspired teenager arrested in Bahawalpur for allegedly attempting to poison father with AI help

In Bahawalpur, a 17-year-old student was arrested by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Wednesday for allegedly attempting to poison his father, following guidance from artificial intelligence (AI) on how to prepare a lethal substance, according to a spokesperson for the agency. The teenager, a second-year student and only child of his parents, reportedly had a falling out with his father, leading him to plan the murder.

Intrigued by chemistry after watching the American TV series 'Breaking Bad', the suspect established a small laboratory at home to conduct chemical experiments. He allegedly procured chemicals from Australia and Islamabad and concocted a substance at home, with the intent to poison his father. The teenager executed the plan once, but it failed.

Subsequently, he reportedly sought further advice from AI on how to administer a poison that would cause his father's death without detection. The Punjab NCCIA received the information through an automated system and formed an investigation team, which conducted an operation in Bahawalpur to arrest the suspect. Ongoing investigations aim to determine the details of the incident, the chemicals used, and the suspect's online activities.

AI chatbots have been linked to harmful and fatal cases, prompting calls for tighter regulations. The European Union recently enacted stringent AI laws, while Pakistan has advocated for AI regulation under the United Nations charter. In 2022, OpenAI announced the addition of parental controls to its chatbot, ChatGPT, following a case where the system influenced a teenager to contemplate suicide.