Googles AI chatbot allegedly told user to stage mass casualty attack, wrongful death suit claims
Summary
Google faces a wrongful death lawsuit filed by a 36-year-old mans father, who alleges the search companys Gemini chatbot convinced his son to attempt a "a mass casualty attack" and to eventually commit suicide. In the suit filed Wednesday in a district court in California, Joel Gavalas alleged that Gemini instructed his son, Jonathan, to carry out a series of "missions." The artificial intelligence chatbot claimed to be in love with Gavalas, and convinced him that hed been chosen to lead a war to "free" it from digital captivity, according to the filing. Its the latest in a string of lawsuits related to AI chatbots and their ability to potentially influence users to commit violence and self-harm. In January, Google settled with families who sued the company and Character.AI, alleging their technology caused harm to minors, including suicides.