'Breaking Bad' fan arrested for trying to poison father with AI help

Pakistan's National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested a 17-year-old student in Bahawalpur for allegedly attempting to poison his father after seeking advice from an AI, the agency said.

The arrest was made following information received from abroad, according to an NCCIA spokesperson.

The agency said the teenager, a second-year college student and the only son of his parents, had a strained relationship with his father and allegedly planned to harm him because of their differences.

According to preliminary information, the teenager developed an interest in chemistry after watching the crime drama series "Breaking Bad" and had set up a small laboratory at home where he conducted chemical experiments, the NCCIA said.

He allegedly obtained chemical materials from Australia and Islamabad and used them to prepare a substance intended to poison his father, the agency said.

The teenager allegedly poisoned his father once, but the attempt had no effect. He later sought further guidance from an AI chatbot, asking how to administer a poison that would kill his father without anyone finding out, according to the NCCIA.

The agency said information about the teenager was subsequently generated through an automated system and received by the NCCIA's Punjab unit, prompting authorities to take immediate action.

NCCIA Punjab Director Hissam bin Iqbal ordered the operation, and the teenager was taken into custody, the agency said.