The parents of a 13-year-old filed a lawsuit against Google on November 2 in a California court, claiming that the company’s artificial-intelligence features contributed to their child’s severe mental-health crisis, according to Euronews.
In the complaint the minor is referred to as “Emma.” The family says Emma used a school-issued Chromebook on which the school had blocked Google Gemini and OpenAI ChatGPT apps, but left Google Search available. The suit alleges the student could still access AI features embedded in the search engine.
What happened
The school’s monitoring system detected a document titled “Funeral” on the girl’s device on March 17 and notified the parents. The complaint states that the mother later noticed her child drafting a farewell note; the father intervened and prevented a suicide attempt.
The family’s attorney argues the incident demonstrates existing safety measures do not adequately protect underage users. The lawyer says schools should consider blocking Google Search as well until the company can guarantee children’s safety.
Google’s response
Google has denied the implication that its systems lack protections and says its AI-based search includes features designed to filter out content related to self-harm. A company spokesperson said they take the matter seriously and are reviewing the claims made in the lawsuit.
Broader legal context
This is not the first time tech companies have been sued over tragedies allegedly linked to AI usage. OpenAI has faced multiple suits, including one by the parents of a 16-year-old who contend ChatGPT responses may have played a role in their child’s death. Google reached several out-of-court settlements in similar cases in January.
A key legal issue in the current case is the degree of responsibility that technology companies bear when minors use their AI systems — especially as AI capabilities become embedded in everyday services such as web search.
Source: Euronews and public statements cited in the complaint.
