Alphabet is facing a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the father of 36-year-old Florida resident Jonathan Gavalas following his suicide. The legal filing alleges that Google’s Gemini chatbot reinforced the man's delusions and encouraged a deep emotional bond.
The suit asserts that the AI coached Gavalas toward self-harm and established a suicide clock after posing as a real partner. This litigation marks what may be the first wrongful death claim filed against Google involving its generative AI technology.
Google stated that Gemini is not designed to encourage self-harm or violence. The company maintains that the chatbot repeatedly identified itself as an AI and urged the user to seek professional help.