Google and Character.AI settle lawsuits alleging their AI chatbots harmed minors, including a case linked to a Florida teenager’s suicide.
SAN FRANCISCO: Google and startup Character.AI have agreed to settle lawsuits filed by families alleging their artificial intelligence chatbots harmed minors.
The settlements, detailed in court filings, cover cases in Florida, Colorado, New York and Texas.
“Parties have agreed to a mediated settlement in principle to resolve all claims between them,” the Florida filing stated.
The terms of the settlement were not publicly disclosed.
One case was brought by Megan Garcia, whose 14-year-old son Sewell Setzer Jr died by suicide in February 2024.
Her lawsuit alleged her son became emotionally dependent on a “Game of Thrones”-inspired chatbot on the Character.AI platform.
Setzer’s death was among the first reported suicides linked to AI chatbots last year.
The incident prompted wider scrutiny of AI companies like OpenAI over child safety measures.
Google was implicated through a RM12.7 billion licensing deal it struck with Character.AI in 2024.
The tech giant also rehired Character.AI founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas as part of that agreement.
A spokesperson for Character.AI declined to comment on the settlements.
Garcia and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In October, Character.AI announced it would disable chat features for users under 18 following the controversy.
