By Jennifer Elias
Publication Date: 2026-01-07 21:09:00
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
Klaudia Radecka | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Google and Character.AI will settle with families who sued the companies over harm to minors, including suicides, allegedly caused by artificial intelligence chatbots.
According to court documents filed this week, the families and companies have agreed to work out settlement terms.
In one case, plaintiff Megan Garcia sued Google and Character.AI after her son died from suicide. The complaint claims that Character.AI’s chatbot engaged the plaintiff’s 14-year-old son, Sewell Setzer III, in harmful interactions, and alleges negligence, wrongful death, deceptive trade practices and product liability.
“Parties have agreed to a mediated settlement in principle to resolve all claims between them in the above-referenced matter,” one filing says. “The Parties request that this matter be stayed so that the Parties may draft, finalize, and execute formal settlement documents.”
The settlement agreements this week also came from…
