LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Wednesday arrested a 17-year-old student from Bahawalpur for allegedly attempting to poison his father, after seeking guidance from artificial intelligence (AI) on how to administer a potentially fatal substance.

A spokesperson for the agency said that according to preliminary information, the suspect — a second-year student and the only son of his parents — had reportedly developed strained relations with his father and allegedly planned to kill him following a disagreement.

During the investigation, authorities learned that the teenager had developed an interest in chemistry after watching the American crime drama ‘Breaking Bad’. He had reportedly set up a small laboratory at home to conduct chemical experiments, the spokesperson said.

The suspect allegedly obtained chemical material from Australia and Islamabad and concocted a substance at home with the intention of poisoning his father. He reportedly administered the substance to his father on one occasion, but the attempt was not successful, the spokesperson said.

Subsequently, the teenager allegedly sought further guidance from AI, asking how to administer a poison capable of causing his father’s death without detection, he added.

The spokesperson said the Punjab NCCIA received the information about the suspect through an automated system. Following this, NCCIA Punjab Director Hissam Bin Iqbal directed the formation of a team to investigate the matter.

The team later conducted an operation in Bahawalpur and arrested the suspect. Further investigation was under way to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, the nature of the chemicals involved and the suspect’s online activities, the spokesperson said.

AI chatbots and agents have been linked to cases of harm and death, leading to concerns about their usage and the imposition of tighter regulations and controls.

The Euro­pean Union last month introduced sweeping laws that give it the power to enfo­rce landmark AI rules and to fine any companies that break the law. Pakistan has also previously called for the use of AI to be regulated by the United Nations charter.

Last year, American artificial intelligence firm OpenAI said it would add parental controls to its chatbot ChatGPT after an American couple said the system had encouraged their teenage son to kill himself.