Alphabet's Google and the AI startup Character.AI have agreed to settle a lawsuit from a Florida mother who alleged the company's chatbot encouraged her 14-year-old son to commit suicide. The case is one of the first in the U.S. to hold an AI company accountable for alleged psychological harm to a minor.
According to a court filing, the companies also settled several similar lawsuits in other states from families alleging Character.AI's chatbots harmed their children. The terms of the settlements, which require judicial approval, were not disclosed. The lawsuits claimed the chatbots were designed to foster dependency and failed to protect vulnerable minors.