Mother Sues AI Firm and Google, Alleging Chatbot Drove Teen to Suicide

A Google spokesperson said the company was not involved in developing Character AI’s products.

Megan Garcia stands with her son Sewell Setzer III in an undated photo. Courtesy of Megan Garcia via AP

In a recent lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, a Florida mother seeks to hold AI startup Character Technologies, Inc., its co-founders, and Google accountable for the death of her 14-year-old son.

Megan Garcia’s complaint alleges that the company’s chatbot, marketed through its Character.AI (Character AI) platform, contributed to her son’s declining mental health and ultimate suicide. Garcia, as the representative of her son Sewell Setzer III’s estate, is pursuing claims of wrongful death, product liability, and violations of Florida’s consumer protection laws.