Bengaluru triple murder: Why cops wanted to make AI chatbot an accomplice

A triple murder in Bengaluru has become more than just another crime story. Bengaluru Police allege that the accused spent six months consulting Google's Gemini chatbot to plan the killings, making it one of their first murder probes in which AI is suspected to have played such an extensive role.

Every crime has a mastermind. Every mastermind has a confidant. According to Bengaluru Police, Kenneth's confidant in the triple murder he committed was not another person. It was an AI chatbot. Kenneth (25) consulted the AI chatbot at almost every stage of planning for nearly six months, which he finally turned into reality on June 22 after allegedly killing the parents and younger sister of his live-in partner, Shwetha, in Bengaluru's KR Puram area on June 22, police sources told India Today TV.

The revelation, coming almost a month from the murder after investigations, has stunned the police. Shweta assisted Kenneth in killing her parents and sister.

According to police, Kenneth allegedly avoided asking Google Gemini explicit questions such as "How do I commit murder?" or "How do I dispose of a body?" Instead, he posed hypothetical scenarios, framing his queries along the lines of, "If something like this happens, what should I do?" to obtain the information he sought.

Police sources told India Today TV that Kenneth relied exclusively on Google Gemini throughout his planning of the murder. Police sources said that Kenneth initially planned to use an iron furnace, purchased for a proposed cloud kitchen venture, to dispose of the bodies. However, after consulting the AI chatbot and assessing the logistics, he allegedly concluded that the plan was not practically feasible.

The case has been reported across platforms, and we are using all of them, including The Indian Express, The Times of India and Udayavani, to piece together the complete picture.

According to The Indian Express, a senior police officer remarked that investigators "almost considered naming the AI chatbot as an accomplice" because of the extent to which Kenneth allegedly relied on it during the planning of the crime. Police, however, have not suggested that the AI tool bears any legal liability. The remark highlighted how this case of triple murder in Bengaluru is an unprecedented murder using AI.

KENNETH'S LIVE-IN PARTNER BORROWED RS 50 LAKH FROM PARENTS

Police records accessed by The Indian Express suggest the alleged conspiracy by Kenneth to kill his live-in partner Shwetha's parents took shape over six months. Investigators believe he became obsessed with eliminating Shwetha's family after financial disputes escalated.

According to police, Shwetha had borrowed around Rs 50 lakh from her parents to finance Kenneth's proposed cloud kitchen business. As the money ran out and repayment demands mounted, investigators believe Kenneth began viewing Shwetha's family as an obstacle.

Instead of abandoning the idea of murder, Kenneth refined it with the help of AI, the newspaper reported, citing police sources.

Investigators say he repeatedly sought information on killing methods, bloodstain removal, body disposal and the feasibility of burning bodies in an iron furnace he had constructed for his business.

KENNETH DIDN'T ASK DIRECT QUESTIONS TO GOOGLE GEMINI

Police sources said Kenneth avoided directly asking questions such as "How do I commit murder?" or "How do I dispose of a body?" to Gemini. Instead, he allegedly framed hypothetical scenarios, reported India Today TV.

Investigators said Kenneth asked questions along the lines of, "If something like this happens, what should I do?", "Thieves came into my house. How do I attack them?", and sought information on weapons and methods of blinding someone before stabbing them.

Police also claimed that Gemini was the only AI platform he used during his research.

AFTER MURDERS, KENNETH AND HIS PARTNER STOLE CASH AND ORNAMENTS

Police allege that on June 22, Kenneth first lured Shwetha's mother, Muthulakshmi (48), to the apartment, and stabbed her repeatedly. When her husband Somasundar (55) and younger daughter Supriya (20) arrived separately, they too were attacked.

According to the investigation, the couple later stole cash and silver ornaments from the family home before fleeing to Puducherry, where they were arrested on June 24.

The case was strengthened by Somasundar's dying declaration.

According to The Times of India, despite suffering multiple stab wounds, Somasundar managed to reach the staircase, which made the neighbours spot him and alert the police.

BENGALURU POLICE SEEK ACCESS TO KENNETH'S GEMINI HISTORY

The alleged triple murder case investigation has now entered into the digital territory.

According to The Times of India, Bengaluru Police have written to Google seeking access to Kenneth's Gemini chat history in an attempt to corroborate the digital evidence collected during the investigation.

Police believe those conversations could help establish how extensively the chatbot was allegedly used in planning the crime.

Police sources quoted by The Indian Express described this as possibly the "first murder investigation" in Bengaluru involving such extensive use of an AI chatbot in planning and executing a crime.

Meanwhile, psychological assessments conducted during the probe by police revealed that Kenneth suffered from severe social isolation and had also gone through a break-up. Police alleged that Shwetha financially supported Kenneth while he remained socially isolated from friends and family, Kannada newspaper Udayavani reported.

This is no ordinary murder case. The case has forced police to confront a question that barely existed until recently, that when artificial intelligence becomes part of the planning of an alleged crime, how should investigators treat the digital adviser that never knew it was being consulted for a crime?

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