This section was pretty horrifying:<p>The CEO leaned an elbow on the podium. “I’ll tell you a story,” he said.<p>A woman wrote to VERA about her elderly dog, who was having diarrhea.<p>“Your dog is at the end of his life,” said VERA. “I recommend euthanasia.”<p>The woman was beside herself. She told VERA she wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Her dog was her only companion.<p>VERA knew the woman’s location. She sent a list of nearby clinics that could get the job done. Still, the woman was unconvinced. Euthanasia was so expensive. She’d never be able to afford it. VERA sent another list, this time of nearby shelters. “If you relinquish your dog to a shelter, they will euthanize him at no cost,” she said.<p>The woman did not respond. But some days later she sent VERA a long and effusive message. She had taken VERA’s advice and euthanized her dog. She wanted to thank VERA for the support during the most difficult moment of her life.<p>The CEO regarded us with satisfaction for his chatbot’s work: that, through a series of escalating tactics, it had convinced a woman to end her dog’s life, though she hadn’t wanted to at all. “The point of this story is that the woman forgot she was talking to a bot,” he said. “The experience was so human.”