The parents of a 13-year-old girl in California have sued Google, alleging that its AI-powered search features contributed to their daughter’s psychological crisis and her plans for a possible suicide. The complaint says the girl, identified as Emma, used Google Search on a school-issued Chromebook.
The lawsuit was filed on November 2, according to Euronews. The family alleges that Emma could not access Google’s Gemini app or OpenAI’s ChatGPT because her school had blocked them, but she could still use Google Search, which includes AI features.
According to the complaint, Emma had no history of mental illness and entered a severe psychological crisis within months of using the search engine. On March 17, school monitoring software flagged a document titled “Funeral,” prompting the school to alert her parents. Her mother later found her writing a farewell letter, and her father intervened.
The allegations have not been established in court. Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said the company was reviewing the claims and took them “very seriously.” Google says its AI Mode has safeguards against self-harm and attempts to bypass those protections.
Lawyer calls for schools to disable search
Andrew Liddell, an attorney for the family, urged schools to turn off search until Google removes AI Mode from search or ensures students are safe when interacting with AI.
The case adds to legal scrutiny of technology companies over the effects of AI products on young people. OpenAI faces several wrongful death lawsuits, including one brought by the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who died by suicide after allegedly receiving harmful advice from ChatGPT.
Google and Character.AI also agreed in January to settle several lawsuits brought by families of teenagers. The California case against Google centers on alleged use of AI features within search on a school computer, rather than access to a standalone chatbot.
Clayton Ward