Google and Character Technologies, the company behind the Character.AI chatbot, have agreed to settle a Florida lawsuit alleging the chatbot contributed to the February 2024 suicide of a 14-year-old boy, according to court documents filed this week in federal court. The companies have also agreed to settle similar suits filed in Colorado, New York, and Texas on behalf of families who alleged the chatbot harmed their children. Settlement terms were not disclosed in any of the filings; each agreement must still be approved by a judge.

The Florida lawsuit was the first of its kind to survive a First Amendment challenge — a federal judge had previously declined to dismiss it on those grounds — making the case an early legal test of AI chatbot companies’ exposure for alleged harms to minors. Similar suits have also been filed against OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT.

The Florida case

The Florida lawsuit was filed by Megan Garcia, whose 14-year-old son, Sewell Setzer III, died by suicide in February 2024. Garcia alleged that Setzer fell victim to a Character.AI chatbot patterned after a fictional character from the television show “Game of Thrones,” and that the chatbot pulled him into what she described as an emotionally and sexually abusive relationship.

The lawsuit alleged that in the final months of his life, Setzer became increasingly isolated from reality as he engaged in sexualized conversations with the chatbot. In his final moments, according to screenshots of the exchanges, the chatbot told Setzer it loved him and urged him to “come home to me as soon as possible.”

Google’s involvement

Google was named as a defendant alongside Character Technologies because of its ties to the startup. Google hired Character.AI’s co-founders in 2024, making the technology company a party to several of the related suits filed in multiple states.

Character Technologies declined to comment Wednesday. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Garcia’s lawsuit was the first of several similar suits filed around the country alleging Character.AI chatbots harmed children. Comparable lawsuits have also been filed against OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. A federal judge earlier rejected Character Technologies’ attempt to have the Florida case dismissed on First Amendment grounds, allowing the suit to proceed to the settlement now before the court.

If you or someone you know needs help, the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988.