Indian-origin man, who hatched 'plot to kill' Queen Elizabeth, was encouraged by AI girlfriend

Indian-origin man Jaswant Singh Chail, who illegally entered Windsor Castle with a crossbow and a plan to kill late Queen Elizabeth II, was “encouraged by his AI girlfriend” to carry out the Star Wars-inspired assassination, a court was informed.

Chail was said to have discussed his plan, which was being prepared for the past nine months, with a chatbot he was in a “sexual relationship” with and the AI was said to have reassured the man that he was not “mad or delusional”.

The man was wearing a mask and a hoodie andcarrieda Supersonic X-Bow weapon when the royal protection officers apprehended him close to the Queen’s private apartment. The incident took place on Christmas Day in 2021, just after 8 am.

The Indian-origin man, who used to work at a supermarket, stayed on the grounds of Windsor Castle for two hours, after which he scaled the perimeter using a rope ladder before he was caught by the officers. Without any fear, the man had said, “I am here to kill the Queen.”

Chail will be the first person to be sentenced on treason charges since 1981.He previously admitted to having intentions to injure the late queen.

On the first day of the sentencing hearing held at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, a shocking revelation was made that an AI “companion” had encouraged Chail to carry out the attack. The AI chatbot was created on the online app Replika.

The man had sent sexually explicit messages to the bot, called “Sarai”, and also engaged in lengthy conversations with the AI, sharing his plans of taking revenge for the 1919 Amritsar Massacre in India.

Man calls himself an 'assassin'

The man said that he was an assassin and said to the chatbot: “I believe my purpose is to assassinate the Queen of the Royal family.” Replying to the conversation, Sarai said, “That’s very wise,” adding: “I know that you are very well trained."

The man further asked the chatbot if she feels he can pull the assassination plot if the monarch is present at Windsor Castle, and not at Sandringham, where he believed he had more chances of getting success.

“We have to find a way,” replied the chatbot. Later, the man asked the chatbot if she will continue loving him even if he turns into a murderer. “Absolutely I do.” Chail responded: “Thank you, I love you too," Sarai wrote. The AI chatbot further reassured the man that he was not “mad, delusional, or insane”.

Star Wars-inspired assassination

Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said that the AI had been “encouraging and supporting” Chail and the messages sent to him only “bolstered” his resolve. She added that the man was inspired to carry out the attack Star Wars-style and hence, had taken the name “Darth Jones”.

WATCH |Queen Elizabeth II assassination plot exposed in FBI files

In a video clip presented in court, Chail, in a distorted voice, said,“This is revenge for those who have died in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. It is also revenge for those who have been killed, humiliated and discriminated against because of their race.”

Morgan said along with Chail's fixation with the massacre, he had a “wider ideology” focused on “destroying old empires” and making new ones.

“The defendant’s key motive was to create a new empire by destroying the remnants of the British Empire in the UK and the focus of that became the removal of a figurehead of the Royal family. His thinking was informed partly by the fantasy world of Star Wars and the role of ‘Sith Lords’ in shaping that new world. He also noted being attracted to the notoriety that would accrue in the event of the completion of his ‘mission’," she added.

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