Kit Roberts
A school therapist is accused of spiking her husband's drink, having allegedly consulted ChatGPT for tips beforehand.
Cheryl Harris Gates from North Carolina has been charged with attempted murder and stalking over the alleged incident after her arrest on 10 October.
An arrest warrant obtained by People says that Gates attempted to spike her husband's energy drink with prescription medication.
In addition to attempted murder the 42-year-old has also been charged with stalking, damage to property, and contaminating food or drink to render one mentally incapacitated or physically helpless.
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Gates had been employed as an occupational therapist with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and her staff page was taken down from the school's webpage following her arrest.
According to an affidavit, Gates had consulted ChatGPT over a period between between 8 July and 29 September, using the AI software to 'investigate lethal and incapacitating prescription drug combinations and the effects of oleander, ricin, and fox glove poisoning'.
Her husband has claimed that he suffered two incidents of becoming suddenly incapacitated after drinking his energy drink on each on those dates.
At the time of the incidents the couple had been living apart.
It went on to say that on 12 July and 18 August, the victim had allegedly provided 'evidence of his incapacitation and a foreign controlled substance in his beverage'.
The document claimed that Gates spiked the drink with 'prescription medications with the intention of causing a black out condition or incapacitation'.
When police searched the house they found syringes, droppers, scales, a capsule-filling kit, medications, and other materials, which have now been seized.
In addition to the alleged spiking, Gates is also accused of having placed a tracking device on her husband's vehicle.
Arrest warrants also indicate that she caused damage to a window on property owned by her husband as well.
Parents at the school where Gates worked at have since spoken out following Gates' arrest.
Speaking to WSOC-TV, parent Quemella Holland said: “It’s definitely surprising that somebody in that capacity that is there to help others would do something, that type of crime, especially."
Fellow parent Laurie Leebrick said: “She never should have been around kids at all. They should have done better background checks.”
The incident comes amid mounting concern about the uses of generative AI, including how the software may respond if questioned about something illegal or immoral.
This is of particular concern around topics such as murder or suicide, including claims that the software has provided detailed information on murder and suicide methods.
FOODbible has reached out to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for comment.