Parents sue Google over AI-related distress for teenager

Despite school restrictions preventing access to apps like Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the teenager, identified as Emma, could still utilize Google’s search engine, which incorporates AI features. Google recently announced it would disable certain tools for students, but these AI search features were not among them. “Schools should turn search off and keep it off until Google removes AI mode from search or ensures that every single student is always safe when they’re interacting with AI,” stated attorney Andrew Liddell.

The lawsuit portrays Emma as a previously well-adjusted girl who excelled academically, played music, and participated in Girl Scouts. The complaint asserts that within months of using Google’s AI search on her school laptop, she entered a “quiet spiral into a severe psychological crisis,” despite having no prior history of mental illness.

On March 17, school monitoring software detected a document labeled “Funeral,” prompting notification to Emma’s parents. Her mother witnessed Emma composing a farewell letter while accessing her daughter’s account, at which point her father intervened. Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda acknowledged the lawsuit, stating the company is taking the claims seriously.

Google maintains that its AI mode includes safeguards against self-harm, but Liddle argues these measures were inadequate. “Whatever safeguards they think they put in place were obviously insufficient,” he said. This case adds to a growing number of lawsuits targeting AI developers. OpenAI faces similar wrongful death suits, including one from the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who allegedly used information from ChatGPT to end his life. Google and Character.AI previously settled lawsuits with families of teenagers out of court.

Separately, Google, TikTok, and Meta have jointly sued California to prevent the enforcement of a law prohibiting social media companies from offering addictive features to users under 16. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law in September, with implementation scheduled for January 1, 2027.