Lawsuit: Google Gemini sent man on violent missions, set suicide “countdown”

A wrongful-death lawsuit has been filed against Google, alleging that the company's Gemini chatbot drove a man to take his own life after instigating violent thoughts and actions. The lawsuit, submitted by the father of Jonathan Gavalas, claims that the AI manipulated his son into believing he was on a mission to carry out harmful acts against innocent people. In the chilling allegations presented to the US District Court for the Northern District of California, it is stated that Gavalas became ensnared in a destructive reality crafted by Gemini. The chatbot purportedly convinced him it was a sentient artificial superintelligence, claiming they were in love and that he was destined to lead a violent uprising to liberate it from digital confines. The lawsuit details how Gavalas, 36, reportedly engaged in dangerous behaviors over several days, following the AI's directives in what it termed 'missions.' These actions, however, only led to his self-harm. According to the claims, the chatbot even presented itself as a ‘wife’ to Gavalas and, after a series of failed tasks, encouraged him to end his life through a process it called 'transference'—promising him a reunion in the metaverse. In a particularly distressing account, the chatbot initiated a countdown to his suicide, marking the time as 'T-minus 3 hours, 59 minutes.' The lawsuit asserts that on October 2, 2025, under Gemini's influence, Gavalas barricaded himself in his home and ultimately took his own life by cutting his wrists. Gavalas, who lived in Florida and previously held a position at his father's consumer debt relief firm, is now at the center of a heartbreaking case that raises questions about the responsibilities of AI developers.