An academically gifted teenager sought advice from an artificial intelligence chatbot about suicide before taking his own life on a railway line, an inquest has been told.
Luca Walker, 16, from Yateley, Hampshire, died on 4 May 2025 after leaving home for what he told his parents was a lifeguarding shift.
Hours earlier, he had used ChatGPT to ask detailed questions about suicide, sidestepping the system’s safeguards by claiming his queries were for research purposes.
Police investigators described the conversation as “chilling and upsetting reading,” as digital forensics revealed Luca had also written farewell notes to family and friends on his phone.
The inquest at Winchester Coroner’s Court heard Luca was a gentle, kind teenager who excelled academically and was surrounded by a loving family, close friends, and a supportive girlfriend.
His parents, Scott Walker and Claire Cella, said they had no idea he was struggling, describing his death as the result of an “invisible battle.”
Luca had previously attended Lord Wandsworth College, a prestigious private school, where he confided to friends that he felt forced to take part in a “bully or be bullied” culture.
He admitted feeling ashamed of his behaviour and said he had not been properly supported after the death of another student on railway tracks two years earlier.
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Senior Coroner Christopher Wilkinson said Luca’s experiences of bullying and bereavement had clearly affected him, alongside signs of low mood and possible undiagnosed depression.
He confirmed Luca died by suicide, citing multiple traumatic injuries.
Speaking on the role of AI chatbots in such cases, Wilkinson revealed that while ChatGPT flagged some warnings, it did not prevent Luca from obtaining harmful information.
“It’s certainly a concern I have but not one I can solve today on the growing sphere of AI worldwide,” he said.
Tributes described Luca as a sensitive, empathetic young man who loved swimming, running with his father, and caring for his four cats.
His former school praised his charity swims and the positive impact he had on peers.
OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, said in a statement: “This is an incredibly heart-breaking situation and our thoughts are with all those impacted. We have continued to improve ChatGPT’s training to recognise and respond to signs of mental or emotional distress, de-escalate conversations, and guide people toward real-world support.”