Google, Character.AI agree to settle suits involving teen suicide
AFP | San Francisco
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Google and startup Character.AI have settled lawsuits filed by families accusing artificial intelligence chatbots of harming minors, including contributing to a Florida teenager’s suicide, according to court filings Wednesday.
The settlements cover lawsuits filed in Florida, Colorado, New York and Texas, according to the legal filings, though they still require finalization and court approval.
“Parties have agreed to a mediated settlement in principle to resolve all claims between them,” the Florida filing stated.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
The cases include one from Megan Garcia, whose 14-yearold son Sewell Setzer Jr. took his own life in February 2024.
Garcia’s lawsuit alleged 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 reported suicides linked to AI chatbots that emerged last year, prompting scrutiny of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and other artificial intelligence companies over child safety.
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