In an upcoming podcast episode, Adam and I discussed the dependency of AI. I understand some people are lonely. It is also likely to assume people are kinda crazy. In an era of “showing receipts”, people do love to leave themselves a paper trail. A woman in Florida – because it has to always be Florida – was using Claude as a journal. That managed to get her charged with a felony.

According to the arrest report, Carli Michelle Heller, of Bonita Springs, Florida, liked to journal. That isn’t what got her in trouble. What got her in trouble is that she was writing, in said journal, about attacking the local sheriff’s office. As one does when you write a journal.

“Claude’s safety systems flagged the entry and it was escalated to a human reviewer,” reported TechSpot. “After deciding it was a credible threat, the reviewer reported it to law enforcement.” The company says it may share user information in limited emergencies. That’s if it believes disclosure is necessary to prevent death or serious physical injury.

Woman Uses Claude as Journal

Heller faces a charge of making a written threat of violence under Florida law. Florida Statute 836.10 makes it a second-degree felony to send, post, or transmit a written or electronic record threatening to kill or injure someone, carry out a mass shooting, or commit an act of terrorism. The communication must be made in a manner in which another person may view it.

Now, many AI companies have been sued over threats not reported. In some cases, actual acts of violence occurred. However, why someone would use Claude as a journal is beyond me. Gone of the days of blogs or Facebook? Where you could post threats, manifestos, and cryptic messages for randos to see?

It is not reported as to why she wanted to harm the sheriff. The post that set it off, the day after the initial entry, she said she had just purchased a gun. Just remember, when you think something is really private, someone is always watching.