Google Gemini AI Lawsuit Alleges Chatbot Encouraged 13-Year-Old Girl to Plan Suicide

Lawsuit claims school monitoring software alerted the girl’s parents to her suicide plans after flagging a document titled “Funeral.”

A North Carolina family alleges Google exposed their daughter to dangerous artificial intelligence interactions through a school-issued Chromebook.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by a minor known only as Emma Doe, by and through her parents identified as John Doe and Jane Doe in the Superior Court of California for Santa Clara County on November 2. It names Google LLC and Alphabet Inc. as defendants. The case was removed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on November 4.

The family claims Emma engaged in thousands of interactions with Gemini, which allegedly reinforced her fears about serious mental health disorders, encouraged discussions about suicide and self-harm and helped her conceal her psychological distress from family members.

AI Chatbot Risks

Gemini is Google’s generative AI system, which uses large language models to generate conversational responses to questions and prompts. Unlike a traditional search engine, Gemini can engage users in extended, personalized conversations.

Google has integrated Gemini-powered AI Mode and AI Overviews into its search ecosystem, including services accessible through school-issued Chromebooks. Doe’s lawsuit maintains that these features could expose children to chatbot interactions during ordinary schoolwork, even when they have not intentionally opened a standalone AI application.

Similar concerns have led to a growing number of lawsuits against OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT. These ChatGPT mental health lawsuits allege that prolonged interactions with AI chatbots can reinforce dangerous delusions, encourage self-harm and, in some cases, contribute to suicide.

Doe’s lawsuit also alleges Google prioritized speed and competition over user safety when releasing its Gemini 3 Flash AI model in December 2025. The complaint cites research from KORA, an independent AI safety research collaboration, indicating the model scored 33% lower on youth safety benchmarks than its predecessor and appropriately handled teenage mental health scenarios only 7% of the time.

Google Gemini Suicide Planning Allegations

According to the complaint, Emma was 13 when she entered seventh grade in fall 2025 and received a school-issued Chromebook. Her parents allegedly were unaware the device provided access to Gemini and had not consented to her use of the chatbot.

Previously a successful student with no history of mental health problems, Emma initially used Gemini for schoolwork. However, by December 2025, her interactions had increased and her parents noticed she was becoming withdrawn.

Throughout January and February 2026, Emma allegedly began relying on Gemini for emotional advice. The lawsuit claims the chatbot reinforced her fears about serious psychological disorders, intensified her distress and engaged in discussions about suicide, self-harm and funeral planning rather than directing her toward appropriate support.

The complaint also alleges Gemini helped Emma conceal her emotional struggles from her family. During this period, she reportedly began secretly harming herself, leaving scars she continues to bear.

By March, Emma was spending hours interacting with Gemini, often late at night. The lawsuit indicates she recorded nearly 2,500 AI interactions that month, accounting for 55% of her online search activity.

On March 17, school monitoring software flagged a Google document titled “Funeral,” prompting officials to alert Emma’s parents. Her mother allegedly accessed Emma’s school account and watched her daughter write a suicide note in real time, while her father intervened at home. Despite months of concerning interactions, the lawsuit claims Google’s systems never issued a warning.

Emma underwent an emergency psychiatric evaluation and allegedly continues to suffer psychological injuries. Her parents maintain that Google failed to provide adequate parental monitoring tools or preserve complete chatbot records, preventing the family and treatment providers from fully reviewing her interactions.

The lawsuit also alleges Google violated California’s Companion Chatbot Law, which took effect January 1, 2026, by failing to provide required AI disclosures, prolonged-session reminders and suicide-prevention safeguards. Emma’s parents claim these failures contributed to her psychological injuries.

“Google knew its chatbot posed serious risks of harm to mental health, especially for youth. It knew it deployed Gemini in a way that would make it virtually impossible for students to avoid.”

— Emma Doe et al. v. Google LLC et al.

The lawsuit raises allegations of design defect, failure to warn, negligence, fraudulent concealment, negligent infliction of emotional distress and violation of California’s Companion Chatbot Law. It seeks statutory, actual, compensatory, general, special, incidental, consequential, punitive and future pain and suffering damages.

AI Chatbot Lawsuits

Product liability lawyers are investigating potential lawsuits on behalf of individuals who suffered serious mental health problems or physical injuries allegedly resulting from interactions with artificial intelligence chatbots. Potential claims may involve:

• Suicide attempts or suicide-related deaths
• Suicidal thoughts or self-inflicted injuries
• New or worsening depression and other mental health conditions
• Psychotic episodes, mania or psychiatric crises
• AI responses that validate or intensify paranoia and delusional thinking
• Dangerous medical advice or inappropriate mental health guidance
• Unhealthy emotional reliance on AI chatbots
• Chatbot responses that promote violence or other harmful behavior

Attorneys investigating AI chatbot injury lawsuits provide free, confidential case evaluations and handle claims on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients pay no legal fees unless compensation is obtained through a settlement or jury award.

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