Swiss suicide capsule adds AI test to assess who is fit to use it

The article discusses the integration of artificial intelligence into the Sarco, a 3D-printed assisted-suicide capsule invented by Philip Nitschke. This AI system is designed to assess whether an individual is mentally fit to choose death before activating the pod. If deemed mentally capable, the person has 24 hours to proceed with the assisted suicide by pressing a button that releases nitrogen, causing death without medical intervention. This AI-based psychiatric evaluation aims to act as a digital gatekeeper, though critics argue it raises serious ethical concerns by reducing a complex, deeply personal decision to an algorithmic judgment. The Sarco has been controversial since its introduction in 2019. Its first confirmed use occurred in 2024 when a 64-year-old American woman ended her life in Switzerland after a traditional psychiatric evaluation, as the AI test was not yet implemented. Following this event, Swiss authorities arrested Dr. Florian Willet, an assisted suicide advocate present at the scene, for allegedly aiding suicide. Willet was later