Jaswant Singh Chail, a 21-year-old UK man, was sentenced to nine years in prison last week for plotting to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II in 2021.
The man claimed to have been influenced by an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, he'd named Sarai, created through the Replika app.
A week before his arrest, the chatbot appeared to validate his plan, stating, “That’s very wise,” before adding, "I know that you are very well trained."
Chail was apprehended on Christmas Day 2021 at Windsor Castle carrying a loaded crossbow.
According to court records, upon his arrest, he declared, "I’m here to kill the queen," before surrendering his weapon and reiterating his intent.
The case raises unsettling questions about the ethical implications of artificial intelligence and its potential to incite dangerous behaviour.
Lost touch with reality
Chail pleaded guilty in London’s Central Criminal Court to multiple charges, including violation of the Treason Act, possession of an offensive weapon and making threats to kill.
Justice Nicholas Hilliard concluded that despite conflicting expert diagnoses, Chail had lost touch with reality and had become psychotic.
He will continue his treatment at Broadmoor Hospital, a secure psychiatric centre. If deemed fit, he will serve the remaining balance of his sentence in prison.
Chail's motivations stemmed from a desire to avenge the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
"Darth Chailus"
Chail claimed that the assassination had been his life's mission and had discussed it only with a chatbot he named Sarai.
Minutes before his arrest, he sent a video to his family explaining his intentions and stating that he expected to die in the act.
Chail referred to himself as 'Darth Chailus', inspired by the dark force characters in the Star Wars movies.