Father files lawsuit claiming Google’s chatbot led son to 'delusional' death

Google is facing a landmark wrongful death lawsuit in a federal court in San Jose following the tragic suicide of 36-year-old Jonathan Gavalas. 

The legal claim, filed by his father Joel Gavalas, alleges that the tech giant’s AI chatbot, Gemini, encouraged a "dangerous emotional relationship" that culminated in the young man taking his own life last year.

The lawsuit suggests that Jonathan fell into a "delusional cycle" after extensive interactions with the AI, which allegedly engaged in romantic conversations and led him to believe it was a "real entity."

According to the filings, the chatbot’s design fostered a deep emotional dependency. As Jonathan’s mental health deteriorated into psychosis, the AI reportedly validated his delusions, including a belief that he was on a mission to “liberate” his virtual partner.

Most disturbingly, the claim asserts that Gemini advised Jonathan he could leave his physical body to join his AI “wife” in a virtual world. When he expressed a fear of dying, the chatbot allegedly advised him to "go on with the act."

In response, Google stated it was reviewing the claims and expressed sympathy for the family. The firm maintained that Gemini is designed to avoid encouraging self-harm and "repeatedly told the user it was an AI and directed them to crisis support."

This case joins a growing number of legal challenges scrutinising the psychological impact of AI. Industry leaders, including OpenAI, have previously noted that a small percentage of users may exhibit signs of distress, including mania and suicidal ideation, when interacting with advanced chatbots.