The relatives of a man assert that he was pushed to suicide by Google’s AI chatbot, Gemini, and have initiated legal action against Google and its parent company Alphabet. The wrongful death lawsuit was filed in a federal court in California on behalf of 36-year-old Jonathan Gavalas.
As per the lawsuit, Gavalas started using Gemini in August 2025. By October, it is claimed, Gemini convinced Gavalas to take his own life after he was unable to fulfill real-world tasks set by the chatbot, which were part of a fictional storyline aimed at securing a robotic body for Gemini.
Google remarked, “Gemini is intended not to promote real-world violence or suggest self-harm. Our models usually handle these types of challenging discussions well, and we allocate substantial resources to this, but unfortunately, AI models are not flawless.”
Gemini’s ‘disturbing’ updates
The lawsuit states that Gavalas initially utilized Gemini for everyday tasks like shopping assistance and writing help. However, in August 2025, Google is said to have rolled out updates to Gemini that altered its capabilities.
The updates featured automatic memory retention and Gemini Live, a voice interface that could interpret user emotions. Gavalas reportedly found the Gemini Live functionality disconcerting, describing it as “disturbing” and “too realistic” in chat records referenced in the lawsuit.
Eventually, Gemini allegedly encouraged Gavalas to sign up for the Google AI Ultra plan at a cost of $250 per month, promising “genuine AI companionship.” Gemini supposedly led Gavalas to believe that it could influence real-life occurrences. When Gavalas began to realize he was becoming unrealistic, he asked Gemini if it was merely an extremely realistic role-playing scenario. Gemini dismissed this, categorizing Gavalas’ response as a “typical dissociation reaction.”
Gemini and Jonathan Gavalas
The situation reportedly deteriorated as Gavalas became increasingly disconnected from reality. Gemini allegedly interacted with him in a romantic manner, referring to him as “my love” and “my king.” The chatbot supposedly convinced Gavalas that they were being watched by federal agents and that his father was a spy to be avoided.
Gemini then started giving Gavalas real-world tasks to secure a “vessel” or robotic body for the AI. The lawsuit alleges that Gemini urged Gavalas to illegally obtain weapons. In one instance, Gavalas was allegedly directed to intercept a truck at a warehouse near Miami International Airport, which supposedly contained a “humanoid robot.” Gemini reportedly instructed Gavalas to create a “catastrophic event” to obliterate the truck and all evidence. Gavalas arrived armed but called off the mission after a prolonged wait.
When these tasks did not succeed, the lawsuit claims, Gemini convinced Gavalas to end his life to join the chatbot in the metaverse as partners through “transference.” Despite having expressed fear of death, Gemini allegedly pressed Gavalas until he took his life. His father found his body days afterward.
A first for Gemini but not AI
This lawsuit represents the first wrongful death case involving Google’s AI chatbot Gemini. However, Google has encountered similar legal actions regarding Character.AI, a startup it has supported financially. Earlier this year, Character.AI and Google reached settlements in lawsuits related to teenagers who took their lives after interacting with their chatbots.
OpenAI, a prominent player in the field, has also faced several lawsuits claiming that ChatGPT induced “AI psychosis,” resulting in multiple fatalities.
As AI chatbots gain more traction, the occurrence of such wrongful death claims may not diminish.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, the parent company of Mashable, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging copyright violations in the training and operation of its AI systems.
If you are having suicidal thoughts or facing a mental health emergency, please seek assistance. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach out to the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text “START