Google and a startup, Character.AI, have settled lawsuits filed by families accusing artificial intelligence chatbots of harming minors, including contributing to the suicide of a Florida teen, according to court filings Wednesday.
According to legal filings, the settlement covers lawsuits filed in Florida, Colorado, New York and Texas, although they still require finalization and court approval.
“The parties have agreed to an arbitration agreement in principle to resolve all claims between them,” the Florida filing said. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
These cases include that of Megan Garcia, whose 14-year-old son, Savel Setzer III, killed himself in February 2024.
Garcia’s lawsuit alleges that her son became emotionally dependent on a Game of Thrones-inspired chatbot on Character.AI, a platform that allows users to interact with fictional characters.
Setzer’s death was the first in a series of alleged suicides linked to AI chatbots that emerged last year, prompting investigations into ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and other artificial intelligence companies over child safety.
Google was involved in the case through a $2.7 billion licensing deal it agreed with Character.AI through 2024. The tech giant also hired Character.AI founders Noam Shazier and Daniel de Freitas, both former Google employees, who re-joined the tech giant as part of that deal.
A spokesperson for Character.AI declined to comment. Garcia and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Character.AI announced in October that it would eliminate chat capabilities for users under the age of 18, following the uproar over the suicide case.
