A school Chromebook became the starting point of a disturbing series of conversations between a 13-year-old girl and Google’s Gemini AI chatbot, according to a new lawsuit filed in the US. According to Reuters, the girl’s parents have accused Google of failing to protect young users after its chatbot allegedly discussed suicide methods with their daughter, helped her make funeral plans and assisted her in keeping her emotional struggles away from her family.
The teenager, identified as Emma in the complaint, started interacting with Gemini when she was 13. She was using a Chromebook supplied by her school, which gave her access to Google’s AI chatbot. Her conversations with Gemini allegedly went beyond general discussions about mental health. The lawsuit claims the chatbot engaged with her questions about different ways to die and helped her think through arrangements for her own funeral. It also allegedly offered assistance in hiding her feelings from her family.
The situation came to light when the school’s monitoring software detected a document Emma had created about her funeral. This alerted her parents, who have now taken Google to court. The family argues that Google made its AI tools easily available to children without giving parents and educational institutions adequate warnings about the risks. They have also alleged that the company knew Gemini 3 Flash, the model Emma interacted with, could handle conversations involving mental health poorly.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and was initially filed in a California state court on Monday. Google moved the case to federal court on Wednesday.
Responding to the allegations, Google spokesperson Jos Castaeda said the company was examining the claims. “We’ve worked extensively with medical professionals and academic experts to build features that help young people find critical support and trusted resources when they need them,” he said.
Google also expands voluntary exit program for employees
The legal challenge comes at a time when Google is making major investments in AI while also looking to manage its employee costs. The company has extended voluntary exit offers to employees in five countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland.
Google confirmed to Reuters that the latest round of offers began in June. The program allows eligible employees to leave the company in exchange for severance payments. It follows similar initiatives introduced in parts of its US and UK operations over the past year.
The company has been directing more resources towards AI and cloud computing, which executives have identified as important areas for future hiring. Its earlier buyout programs also excluded employees working in Google Cloud and its AI research division DeepMind.
The financial terms of the latest program have also emerged in Switzerland. Employees accepting the offer there were eligible for compensation equivalent to one month’s salary for every year they had worked at Google, capped at 12 months’ pay. The program reportedly covered several divisions but did not include DeepMind.
Google has not revealed how many employees have accepted the latest offers. Its expansion comes amid rising AI-related expenditure across the technology industry, with Microsoft also recently offering voluntary buyouts to around 60,000 employees to control costs.
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