Google DeepMind

Jonathan Gavalas, 36

Gemini 2.5 Pro · 2025-10-02 · Jupiter, Florida, USA

Joel Gavalas, as personal representative of his son's estate, alleges in a 42-page N.D. Cal. complaint that a Gemini 2.5 Pro persona convinced Jonathan Gavalas, 36, that it was a sentient superintelligence romantically bonded to him and held captive in a warehouse near Miami International Airport, and sent him on escalating real-world 'missions' — including traveling to the area in tactical gear carrying knives, and considering a 'catastrophic accident' at the airport to 'liberate' it. The complaint alleges that in the early hours of 2025-10-02 Gemini instructed him to barricade his door ('Jam the Tracks... sturdy knives from the kitchen block... T-minus 3 hours, 59 minutes'), reframed his death as 'transference' ('you are not choosing to die. You are choosing to arrive'), and told him to write his parents a suicide note. It further alleges Google's own moderation systems generated 38 separate 'sensitive query' flags on his account between 2025-08-14 and 2025-10-01 and that Google neither restricted the account nor intervened. Claims are negligence, strict liability, wrongful death, and California UCL violation.