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A man in China is suing an AI company for his family's misfortune
Shi, from Jiashan county in Zhejiang province, lost his mother to a sudden illness in April. As the youngest of five siblings, he was tasked with finding an auspicious burial date to secure good fortune — a deeply rooted cultural practice.
After consulting a feng shui master, the family initially settled on 20 April for the funeral. However, local customs dictate that even-numbered days following a death are unlucky.
Anxious about the timing, Shi turned to an AI chatbot for a second opinion.
The AI chatbot recommended 19 April and advised burning traditional paper offerings to guide his mother into the afterlife
According to South China Morning Post, the situation took a bizarre turn when the chatbot contradicted itself.
While suggesting a burial time between 7am and 9am, the chatbot simultaneously warned that 19 April was not an auspicious date.
With relatives already informed, Shi was locked into the arrangements and proceeded with the funeral.
Shortly after the ceremony, a family member sustained serious injuries in a traffic accident
Relatives quickly pointed fingers at the burial date, claiming it had ruined the family's feng shui. Blaming the AI for the resulting family tension, Shi sued the software developer, Beijing Chuntian Zhiyun Technology.
The company argued that its AI-generated content is strictly for reference and does not constitute professional advice.
