A teenager allegedly killed his mother and brother after using ChatGPT to create chilling “fantasy stories” about murdering his family, according to police.
Arjun Aravind, 17, is accused of killing his mother Sudha Venkatesan, 45, and his brother, Siddharth Aravind, 14, after the two were found slain in their Acton, Mass. home on Tuesday night, according to prosecutors.
The Acton-Boxborough Regional High School student had been demonstrating “concerning behavior” recently before the killings — including using the AI chatbot to create “theoretical ideas or fantasy stories regarding the killing of his family,” Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said.
Aravind asked ChatGPT to help generate twisted “gothic novel-kind of stories,” Ryan said, according to Boston.com.
Aravind’s mom and brother were found around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday after his father contacted police and reported that a tutor had been unable to get inside their house.
He said he had last spoken to his wife earlier that morning before he left for work. Siddharth Aravind was last seen around noon.
When police conducted a wellness check, the 14-year-old was found dead on the first floor and the mom was found in the basement.
Aravind had fled the home in his mother’s 2014 Green Honda Accord and police immediately issued a lookout alert to local agencies
Early Wednesday morning, police in nearby Wayland, responding to an unrelated call, located the Accord outside of a business and found Aravind inside. He was taken into custody by police without incident.
“This is an unspeakable tragedy,” Ryan said.
The victims’ official cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner’s office. Police have not revealed whether a gun or any other weapon was used.
Aravind was charged with two counts of murder, two counts of assault and battery on a household or family member, two counts of assault and battery, use of a vehicle without authority, and theft of a motor vehicle.
He was arraigned on the motor vehicle charges. Lowell Juvenile Court Wednesday afternoon and is expected to be arraigned on the murder charges Thursday in Concord District Court, according to Boston.com.
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