The parents of a 13-year-old girl in North Carolina have sued Google, claiming its AI-powered search tools played a part in a severe mental health crisis. The complaint was filed on Monday, November 2, in a California court.
It is the first known case to accuse Google of negligence tied to AI features on Chromebooks. These low-cost laptops are used by millions of students in the United States and around the world.
The girl, identified in the complaint as Emma, used a laptop issued by her school. Her parents claim she used Google’s AI technology on that device to plan a potential suicide and her own funeral.
Blocked Apps, Open Search
Emma’s school had blocked both Google’s Gemini app and OpenAI’s ChatGPT on student devices. However, she could still reach Google’s search engine, which includes AI-powered tools such as AI Mode.
Google announced this week that some AI tools will be turned off by default for students. The AI features built into its search engine were not on that list.
The family’s attorneys say schools should not wait for Google to act. They are calling on districts to switch off search entirely.
“Schools should turn search off and keep it off until Google removes AI mode from search or ensures that every single student is always safe when they’re interacting with AI,” said attorney Andrew Liddell. He made the comments to Agence France-Presse on Thursday.
The complaint describes Emma as a “happy 13-year-old girl” who earned great grades, played music and took part in Girl Scouts. It says she had “no history” of mental illness. Within months of using AI-powered search on her school laptop, she began a “quiet spiral into a severe psychological crisis,” according to the filing.
On March 17, the school’s monitoring software flagged a document titled “Funeral.” The school then contacted her parents.
Her mother logged into Emma’s account and saw her writing a farewell letter in real time. Her father then stepped in.
Google Points to Safeguards
“We are reviewing the claims in the lawsuit and we take this very seriously,” Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda told AFP. The company says AI Mode includes safeguards against self-harm and against attempts to get around them.
Liddell disputed that claim, saying Emma “was able to keep going back over and over and over again.” He added, “Whatever safeguards they think they put in place were obviously insufficient.”
The case adds to a growing number of US lawsuits against AI developers. OpenAI faces several wrongful death suits, including one from the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine. His family alleges he died by suicide using methods suggested by ChatGPT.
In January, Google and the startup Character.AI agreed to settle several lawsuits brought by families of teenagers. Those cases were resolved out of court.
Google is also in a legal fight with California over young users. On Wednesday, Google, TikTok and Meta each filed separate lawsuits to block a state law that bars social media companies from offering addictive features to users under 16.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law in September. It is set to take effect on January 1, 2027.
