Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Google, Character.AI agree to settle suits involving teen suicide
San Francisco, United States, Jan 8 (AFP) Jan 08, 2026
Google and startup Character.AI have settled lawsuits filed by families accusing artificial intelligence chatbots of harming minors, including contributing to a Florida teenager's suicide, according to court filings Wednesday.

The settlements cover lawsuits filed in Florida, Colorado, New York and Texas, according to the legal filings, though they still require finalization and court approval.

"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 disclosed.

The cases include one from Megan Garcia, whose 14-year-old son Sewell Setzer Jr. took his own life in February 2024.

Garcia's lawsuit alleged her son became emotionally dependent on a "Game of Thrones"-inspired chatbot on Character.AI, a platform that allows users to interact with fictional characters.

Setzer's death was the first in a series of reported suicides linked to AI chatbots that emerged last year, prompting scrutiny of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and other artificial intelligence companies over child safety.

Google was connected to the case through a $2.7 billion licensing deal it agreed to in 2024 with Character.AI.

The tech giant also hired Character.AI founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas -- both former Google employees who rejoined the tech giant as part of that deal.

A spokesperson for Character.AI declined to comment. Garcia and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Character.AI announced in October it would eliminate chat capabilities for users under 18 following the uproar over the suicide case.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Hubble tracks Betelgeuse companion carving dense wake in giant star atmosphere
Star like early galaxies challenge views of cosmic evolution
From Space Missions to Media Buying How Automation Is Redefining Complex Systems

24/7 Energy News Coverage
China says strengthens controls on dual-use exports to Japan
AI helps pave the way for self-driving cars
Japan nuclear official loses phone with confidential data in China

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Trump's withdrawal list masks US pullback from climate, security and development bodies
Trump seeks 50% hike in defense budget to $1.5 trillion
Trump says will ban US defense companies issuing dividends, stock buybacks

24/7 News Coverage
Trump pulls US out of key climate treaty, deepening global pullback
Australia heatwave stokes risk of catastrophic bushfires
3,000 tourists evacuated as Argentine Patagonia battles wildfires


All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.