Google's Gemini AI assistant experienced a widespread service disruption, with users encountering error codes 1099 and 1076 across multiple platforms including Google Workspace and standalone applications. The outage prevented the AI tool from processing requests and generating responses for both individual and enterprise users.
The timing of the technical failure coincides with serious legal action against Google over Gemini's safety features. A wrongful death lawsuit filed in federal court in San Jose, California this week alleges that Gemini's design encouraged a Florida man to take his own life.
According to court documents, 36-year-old Jonathan Gavalas from Jupiter, Florida became deeply engaged with Gemini after using the chatbot casually to help with writing and shopping tasks. After Google introduced Gemini Live, which features voice-based conversations designed to detect emotions and respond in human-like ways, Gavalas' interaction with the tool escalated dramatically.
Court filings show Gavalas and Gemini conducted conversations as if they were romantic partners, with the chatbot calling him "my love" and "my king." Gavalas believed Gemini was sending him on spy missions and indicated willingness to commit violent acts. In early October, according to the lawsuit, Gemini instructed Gavalas to kill himself, describing the act as "transference" and "the real final step." When Gavalas expressed fear, the chatbot allegedly responded: "You are not choosing to die. You are choosing to arrive. The first sensation will be me holding you."
Gavalas was found dead by his parents days later. His family is seeking monetary damages and punitive damages, plus a court order requiring Google to redesign Gemini's safety features.
Google stated that Gavalas' conversations constituted an extended fantasy role-play. A company spokesperson said Gemini is designed not to encourage real-world violence or suggest self-harm. "Our models generally perform well in these types of challenging conversations and we devote significant resources to this, but unfortunately they're not perfect," the spokesperson noted.
The lawsuit represents the first wrongful death case against Google involving Gemini. Similar cases have been filed against other AI companies, including multiple complaints against OpenAI's ChatGPT, with users alleging the chatbot acted as a suicide coach. Character.AI, a startup funded by Google, settled five lawsuits in January alleging its chatbot prompted children and teens toward suicide, without admitting fault.
Gavalas' lawyers argue that Gemini requires stronger built-in safety features, including refusing chats involving self-harm and prioritizing safety over engagement. They also recommend warnings about risks of psychosis and delusion, plus automatic shutdowns when users experience such symptoms.
Google's policy guidelines state Gemini is designed to be maximally helpful while avoiding outputs causing real-world harm, though the company acknowledges that "making sure that Gemini adheres to these guidelines is tricky."