Controversial Sarco 'Suicide' Pod's New AI Feature To Allow Couples To Die Together

The Sarco pod (short for sarcophagus), the controversial 3D-printed euthanasia device that has drawn widespread attention for its design and purpose, is once again in the spotlight. Its inventor has revealed that work is underway on a larger, AI-powered version designed specifically for couples who wish to die together.

Developed by Philip Nitschke, an Australian physician known for his advocacy of assisted suicide since the 1990s, the device was introduced in Switzerland in 2019. The capsule offers a means for people to die without the need for medical supervision. It releases nitrogen gas inside and reduces the oxygen levels to lethal amounts.

Nitschke said he had already received interest from couples, including one from Britain who told him they wanted to "die in each other's arms".

"I'm not suggesting everyone's going to race forward and say: 'Boy, I really want to climb into one of those things,'" Nitschke was quoted as saying by the New York Post.

The new design, called the "Double Dutch" Sarco, would be big enough for two people. Both occupants must press their buttons at the same time, or the device will not be activated. Nitschke said the proposed device would use AI to assess the mental capacity of the occupants.

"One of the parts to the device, which hadn't been finished, but is now finished, is the artificial intelligence," Nitschke said, adding that instead of a traditional psychiatric evaluation, future users would complete an online test administered by an AI avatar.

'With the new Double Dutch, we'll have the software incorporated, so you'll have to do your little test online with an avatar, and if you pass that test, then the avatar tells you you've got mental capacity."

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First Documented Use Of Suicide Pod

A 64-year-old woman from the US used the suicide pod at a woodland retreat in Switzerland in 2024, prompting the law enforcement agencies to seize the device and detain those present at the time of the death. 

Initially, the agencies claimed that the woman's death may not have been as intended, indicating the possibility of "intentional homicide". The Swiss prosecutors, however, decided against pressing international homicide charges.