A court in Azerbaijan has sentenced a 16-year-old boy to 7 years and 6 months in prison for stabbing his mother to death, in a case that drew widespread attention after investigators discovered he had asked the AI chatbot ChatGPT for advice on committing the crime and minimizing punishment.
The tragedy unfolded in the village of Gadashoba in the Khachmaz district, according to a report by Vesti Baku.
The boy killed his mother, Kifayat Latifova, who was born in 1982.The Sumgayit Court for Serious Crimes handed down the verdict against the defendant, identified as A. Latifov. He will serve his sentence in a general regime correctional facility for juveniles.
During the trial, the teen testified that the conflict stemmed from his mother’s TikTok messages with an unknown man. Investigators said he inflicted 15 stab wounds on her, leading to her death.
Adding to the public outcry, authorities found a conversation on his phone where he queried ChatGPT about methods to kill his mother, potential legal consequences and strategies for giving testimony to secure the lightest sentence.
The boy’s father and brother were not home at the time of the incident. Afterward, he went to nearby relatives and confessed to the killing. He later expressed regret in court.
A man the teen accused of messaging his mother on TikTok also testified, saying he did not know the victim and was unaware of her identity.
He explained that TikTok’s messaging section features quick reactions with three emojis: a heart, laughter and tears.“I sent a heart once. The person didn’t introduce themselves,” he said.
“When I got a subpoena from the prosecutor’s office and saw the news on TikTok, that’s when I realized who this woman was. But I don’t understand what connection I have to her death.”