Teen accused of killing mother and brother had used ChatGPT for violent ‘fantasy stories,’ prosecutors say
A Massachusetts teenager accused of murdering his mother and younger brother was using ChatGPT to craft dark, fictional narratives about slaying his own family, prosecutors revealed Thursday as the 17-year-old was formally charged.
Arjun Aravind pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and multiple related charges in the deaths of Sudha Venkatesan, 45, and Siddharth Aravind, 14. Their bodies were discovered Tuesday inside the family’s home in Acton, a quiet suburb about 20 miles northwest of Boston.
During a news conference Wednesday, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said investigators found that Aravind had been “using the internet and ChatGPT to make searches for theoretical ideas or fantasy stories regarding the killing of his family.” She described the content as “kind of Gothic novel kind of stories,” involving character creation and hypothetical questions tied to threats that his family would not survive.
Police also recovered a “heavily damaged bloody laptop” and what appeared to be a bent knife with an orange handle at the scene, according to a police report obtained by CNN affiliate WCVB. The medical examiner’s office has not yet determined the official causes of death.
Court records and family statements paint a picture of a troubled teenager. His father told police that over the past year, Aravind had shown behavioral problems and that the family had hidden knives from him. The family had recently moved to Acton seeking better schools and a stronger support system, according to his defense attorney, Debra DeWitt.
DeWitt said Aravind did not realize his mother and brother were dead until after his arrest. He was found Wednesday morning in Wayland, sitting in his mother’s green Honda Accord in a parking lot, after police responded to an unrelated call.
The case has intensified public debate over the potential dangers of generative AI, particularly for vulnerable adolescents. While ChatGPT and similar tools are not designed to encourage violence, experts warn that unsupervised use can reinforce harmful obsessions or normalize dark fantasies. Florida earlier this year sued OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, alleging the technology lacked parental oversight and contributed to addiction, eroded critical thinking, and allegedly assisted mass shooters.
OpenAI has said it believes minors “need significant protection” and says it has implemented industry-leading safeguards. The company did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment on this specific case.
At his arraignment Thursday, Aravind was ordered held without bail and will undergo a mental health evaluation. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for September 11.
Ryan called the killings an “unspeakable tragedy” and an “incredibly dark day” for the family and community. “We put an enormous weight on our kids,” she said. “We know the kids will be seeing and reading about this, likely on social media.”