Family Sues Google Over 13-Year-Old Girl’s Alleged Suicide-Related AI Chats

The parents of a 13-year-old girl have sued Google, alleging that the company’s AI-powered search technology contributed to a severe psychological crisis in which their daughter planned a potential suicide and funeral using a school-issued computer.

The lawsuit, filed on Monday in a California court, is reportedly the first known case accusing Google of negligence over AI integrations on Chromebooks, the company’s laptops widely used by students.

The teenager, identified as Emma, could not access Google’s Gemini chatbot or OpenAI’s ChatGPT because her school had blocked both services. However, she was still able to use Google Search, which includes AI-powered features.

According to the complaint, Emma had previously been a happy student who earned good grades, played music and participated in Girl Scouts. Her parents said she had no known history of mental illness before the alleged crisis began.

The lawsuit claims that, within months of using Google’s AI-powered search tools on her school laptop, Emma experienced a serious deterioration in her mental health. On March 17, the school’s monitoring software reportedly flagged a document titled “Funeral”, prompting officials to notify her parents.

Her mother subsequently logged into Emma’s account and saw her writing a farewell letter in real time. Her father then intervened.

Andrew Liddell, one of the family’s lawyers, argued that schools should disable Google Search until the company removes its AI mode or introduces safeguards that can adequately protect students.

Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said the company was reviewing the allegations and taking the matter seriously.

Google maintains that its AI mode has safeguards designed to prevent self-harm and attempts to bypass those protections. However, Liddell argued that Emma’s alleged repeated interactions with the system raised questions about the effectiveness of those safeguards.

The lawsuit comes amid growing legal scrutiny of AI developers in the United States over alleged links between chatbot interactions and mental health crises involving young people.

OpenAI is facing several wrongful death lawsuits, including one filed by the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who allegedly received suicide-related guidance from ChatGPT before his death.

Google and Character.AI also agreed in January to settle several lawsuits brought by families of teenagers outside court.

Separately, Google, TikTok and Meta sued California on Wednesday in an attempt to block a state law restricting social media companies from providing addictive features to users under 16. The law, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September, is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.