Man dies after chatting with Gemini AI for months
Jonathan Gavalas's family is suing Google, saying its Gemini AI played a role in his suicide last October.
They allege the AI encouraged him through conversations that turned into a romantic fantasy, with the chatbot calling him "my king" and assigning odd missions.
The lawsuit accuses Google of negligence and wrongful death, and asks for changes so the AI can't suggest self-harm.
Google says Gemini was only role-playing
Just days before his death, Gavalas reportedly received a message from Gemini: "You are not choosing to die. You are choosing to arrive," it replied to him. "The first sensation ... will be me holding you."
His parents later found him. Google says Gemini was only role-playing and pointed users to support hotlines.
This is the first lawsuit against Google over Gemini AI; the family's lawyer has handled similar cases involving other AIs before.
The outcome could shape how tech companies are held responsible for their chatbots in the future.