wire / 2026-10-20-a737
Man in Ciudad del Plata, Uruguay used ChatGPT to plan murder; found not criminally responsible
A ChatGPT query history became evidence in a stabbing case. The court ultimately focused on untreated schizophrenia.
The facts
In Ciudad del Plata, Uruguay, a 21-year-old man used ChatGPT to research and plan the murder of Avril Wilkins, whom he fatally stabbed over 40 times. Despite the AI's role in facilitating the crime, psychiatric evaluations found the perpetrator not criminally responsible due to untreated schizophrenia.