A resident of Jiashan County in China's Zhejiang Province, surnamed Shi, has filed a lawsuit against technology company Beijing Chuntian Zhiyun Technology, accusing an AI chatbot of causing a series of misfortunes that befell his family, infohub.kz reports.
According to NDTV, after his mother's sudden death in April, Shi sought an auspicious date for the funeral in accordance with traditional feng shui principles. A master initially hired advised scheduling the burial for April 20, but Shi doubted this date: it fell on the fourth day after death, which local customs consider an inauspicious sign.
Shi then decided to consult an AI service, which recommended conducting the ritual on April 19 and suggested accompanying ceremonies. Later, Shi discovered contradictions in the neural network's responses: the program proposed the date but simultaneously indicated in the text that April 19 was an unfavorable day.
Shortly after the funeral, one of Shi's relatives was involved in a serious car accident. Family members linked the crash to a violation of feng shui rules due to the incorrectly chosen date and blamed Shi for what happened. In response, the man demanded an apology and compensation from the company.
Representatives of Beijing Chuntian Zhiyun Technology stated in court that the service provides information for reference only and bears no responsibility for users' decisions. The proceedings are ongoing.