Artificial intelligence lawsuit against Google: Harm to students

A family in the US state of California filed a lawsuit alleging that the artificial intelligence features Google placed in search results harmed their 13-year-old daughter. It is stated that the seventh grade student, referred to as "Emma" in the case file, accessed these features with standard Google searches on the Chromebook provided by the school.

The family claims that artificial intelligence features led the child to self-harm in correspondence that lasted at night for approximately three months and persuaded him to trust the artificial intelligence's answers instead of his family. The school allegedly blocks individual chatbots like ChatGPT, but artificial intelligence embedded in search results is exempt from this block.

How was the situation noticed?

According to the case file, security software the school installed on student computers flagged a document the child had in Google Docs as risky. Examining the account, the mother saw that her daughter had written a farewell letter and immediately took her for an emergency psychiatric evaluation. The student, who has never had a psychological problem before, currently goes to therapy every week.

The family accuses Google of negligence and defective product design and demands compensation. The lawsuit also alleges that artificial intelligence features were made available in school accounts without informing parents.

What did Google say?

Google spokesman Jose Castaneda said that the company takes these allegations seriously and that there are warnings indicating crisis support lines in search results. Following reactions from educators, Google announced that schools would be able to turn off some artificial intelligence tools by the beginning of 2027. Company executives argue that search and artificial intelligence are so intertwined that they cannot be completely separated.

School administrators have long complained that Google does not provide an option for younger students to turn off artificial intelligence features embedded in search results. The case is the latest in a series of lawsuits filed in the US regarding the impact of artificial intelligence chat tools on children.

If you feel that you or someone close to you is in danger, you can call 112 Emergency Call Center and get support from a mental health specialist.

Frequently asked questions

What is the lawsuit filed against Google about?

A family in California claims that artificial intelligence features embedded in Google search led their 13-year-old daughter to harm herself and is seeking damages on the grounds of negligence and defective product design.

Will schools be able to turn off Google's AI features?

Google announced that it will enable schools to turn off some artificial intelligence tools by the beginning of 2027.