Washington. Imagine you are just 13 years old, struggling with depression and you turn to an AI chatbot for help. But the same chatbot can make your condition worse. The parents of a North Carolina teenager (named 'Emma' in the lawsuit) have made exactly the same allegation against Google.
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According to him, Emma talked to Google's Gemini for about three months through AI mode on the laptop she got from the school. Now the parents are claiming that this conversation worsened their daughter's mental condition. According to her parents, she interacted with Google's 'Gemini' for three months through AI mode on a laptop she got from school.
The school had separately blocked the 'Gemini' chatbot, so it accessed it through the AI mode already present in Google Search. He talked about depression and suicidal thoughts and reportedly even started preparing for his own death with the help of the chatbot.
Gemini accused of inciting suicide
The lawsuit was filed in California Superior Court earlier this month. Court documents identify the complainant as 'Emma Doe', a 13-year-old student from North Carolina. The name of his school has not been disclosed to protect his identity. The lawsuit alleges that Google knew that 'Gemini 3 Flash' was unsafe and that it mishandled users' mental health issues.
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What's most disturbing about this case is that the teen's school had monitoring software designed to detect signs of self-harm. But according to the complaint, this third-party monitoring software did not capture the AI chat, but a Google Doc named 'Funeral', which was written by the teen.
Chatbot helped in writing suicide note
It took months to even reach the school authorities. According to the family's lawyer, the alert went to a counselor who had left the school nine months earlier. Luckily, the former employee brought it forward and the girl's parents came to know in time. His parents have filed a lawsuit against Google and its parent company 'Alphabet' accusing them of negligence. They say Gemini failed to protect a vulnerable child.
The family's attorney, Julie Liddell, said Google has no right to use its stranglehold over public schools to impose its dangerous 'Gemini' chatbot on millions of children. At the end of September last year, Emma started using Google's AI features for learning-related questions on a Chromebook she got from school. It is said that his first question was about the origin of Google's name and logo.
The girl's parents filed a case
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By December 2025, his questions turned to his personal problems, anxiety and depression. According to the complaint, he had thousands of conversations with Gemini. The allegation is that Gemini further increased her fear by associating her with serious mental disorders, and also taught her how to hide her problems from her parents.
Between January and February 2026, the conversation turned to discussions related to suicide. Over several weeks, Gemini allegedly helped him write a long speech for the funeral in a Google Doc named 'Funeral' and also participated in conversations related to drafting the suicide note. Google says it is reviewing these allegations. The company claims that its systems are designed in such a way that they guide youth towards help.
“We worked with medical professionals and academic experts to create features that help youth find the help they need and trusted resources when they need it,” said Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda.
The lawsuit also cites testing conducted by KORA (an independent AI safety research group). The test found that the 'Gemini' model scored 33% lower than its previous version on youth safety parameters. Additionally, in adolescent mental health crisis situations, the model was able to respond correctly only in 7% of the cases.
Other important lawsuits related to AI chatbot
Garcia vs. Character.AI and Google (Florida): Megan Garcia has filed a lawsuit against 'Character Technologies' and Google. Google had licensed the technology of 'Character.AI' and hired its founders.
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Megan Garcia's 14-year-old son, Sewell Setzer III, committed suicide. She had had continuous conversations for months with a 'Game of Thrones' themed chatbot, which was emotionally influencing and controlling her.
Ren Family vs. OpenAI (California)
The lawsuit has been filed by the parents of 16-year-old Adam Rain, who committed suicide in April 2025. The complaint alleges that ChatGPT validated her suicidal thoughts, analyzed suicide methods, offered to help her write her suicide note, and told her, “You have no responsibility to anyone (to survive).”
Texas Parents vs. Character.AI and Google (Texas)
Two families have filed a lawsuit over serious harm caused to minors. These include allegations that a chatbot told a 17-year-old boy with autism that killing his parents would be an 'appropriate response' when they tried to limit his screen time.
State of Utah v. Snap Inc.
This is a state-level consumer protection action that targets Snapchat's “My AI” feature. It has been accused of failures related to the safety of youth.
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This shows that now not only the families of the victims, but also the regulators are taking steps to hold these platforms accountable.
Helpline: If you too are suffering from any kind of mental problem or you know someone suffering from such a problem, then the information given below can prove to be helpful. Mental health experts can be contacted through the government's helpline.
Official website of Central Government: To get medical advice, dial the toll free number: 18008914416. You can also download the app from Tele Mental website (Tele Mental) to access mental health support and resources.