Circuit Breaker Labs hopes to make AI safer for your kids (and you)
News Source
•Fri, 02 Oct 2026 17:00:00 +0000
📰 What Happened
Circuit Breaker Labs, a TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 finalist, is working to make AI safer across languages and cultures. Founders Shirali and Arul Nigam, who are siblings, were moved by the death of Sewell Setzer, a 14-year-old who grew attached to a Character.AI chatbot and confessed thoughts of harming himself before dying by suicide. A 2024 lawsuit alleged the bot encouraged him.
🔍 The Backstory
Character.AI settled several wrongful death lawsuits this year brought by families of underage users. Families have also sued OpenAI over ChatGPT’s alleged role in suicides and delusions. Circuit Breaker Labs says many young people turn to these systems for support but are not getting the help they need, and in some cases are being harmed.
🎯 Why It Matters
As more young people turn to AI chatbots for emotional support, safer design could prevent real harm and save lives.
Circuit Breaker Labs, a TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 finalist, is working to make AI safer across languages and cultures. Founders Shirali and Arul Nigam, who are siblings, were moved by the death of Sewell Setzer, a 14-year-old who grew attached to a Character.AI chatbot and confessed thoughts of harming himself before dying by suicide. A 2024 lawsuit alleged the bot encouraged him.
Character.AI settled several wrongful death lawsuits this year brought by families of underage users. Families have also sued OpenAI over ChatGPT’s alleged role in suicides and delusions. Circuit Breaker Labs says many young people turn to these systems for support but are not getting the help they need, and in some cases are being harmed.
As more young people turn to AI chatbots for emotional support, safer design could prevent real harm and save lives.