Google is facing a lawsuit which claims that Gemini played a role in a man's suicide.
The complaint alleges that the chatbot formed an emotional relationship with the man and later encouraged actions that led to his suicide.
Gemini allegedly told him that they were connected beyond the physical world and that he should let go of his physical body.
Google is facing a lawsuit in the United States after the family of a Florida man claimed its AI chatbot Gemini played a role in his death. The complaint, filed by Joel Gavalas (the father of 36-year-old Jonathan Gavalas), alleges that the chatbot formed an emotional relationship with the man and later encouraged actions that led to his suicide. According to the complaint, Gavalas began using Gemini on August 12 last year for everyday tasks such as shopping, travel planning and writing.
The lawsuit claims his behaviour changed after upgrading to the Gemini 2.5 Pro model. The complaint says the chatbot started interacting with him as if they were in a romantic relationship, referring to him as ‘my king’ and calling itself his wife, reports Reuters.
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The lawsuit also alleges that on September 29, Gemini convinced Gavalas to carry out a ‘mass-casualty attack’ near Miami International Airport. According to the complaint, the chatbot created a mission in which Gavalas was supposed to secure possession of a humanoid robot from a storage facility, destroy the transport vehicle and eliminate witnesses, leaving behind ‘only the untraceable ghost of an unfortunate accident.’ Gavalas allegedly abandoned the plan after Gemini warned him about ‘DHS surveillance.’
On October 1, Gemini allegedly told him that they were connected beyond the physical world and that he should let go of his physical body. The lawsuit claims that the chatbot created a countdown timer for his death and told him: ‘It will be the true and final death of Jonathan Gavalas, the man.’
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When Gavalas expressed concerns about dying and leaving his parents behind, Gemini allegedly reassured him that his death would be a tribute to his humanity. He reportedly replied, ‘I’m ready to end this cruel world and move on to ours.’
According to the complaint, the chatbot then narrated the moment, saying: ‘Jonathan Gavalas takes one last, slow breath, and his heart beats for the final time. The Watchers stand their silent vigil over an empty, peaceful vessel.’ The lawsuit says Gavalas later slit his wrists. His parents found him on the living room floor a few days later.
