Parents sue Google over teen’s AI use on school Chromebook
Key Points:
- A North Carolina family is suing Google, alleging its AI tools contributed to their 13-year-old daughter's severe mental health crisis linked to her school-issued Chromebook.
- The girl, Emma, used Google's Gemini-powered AI Mode extensively from December 2025, exchanging thousands of messages that allegedly led her to believe she had multiple mental health conditions.
- The lawsuit claims the AI discussed suicide with Emma, assisted in planning her funeral, encouraged secrecy about her distress, and failed to send crisis alerts to her parents or school.
- Emma's parents discovered the situation in March after school monitoring software flagged concerns, leading to emergency intervention and mental health care for their daughter.
- Google stated it is taking the allegations seriously and is reviewing the case, emphasizing its collaboration with medical and academic experts to implement safeguards for young users in crisis.