Psychological Harm & AI in the Courtroom : Lawsuits, Regulation, and Risk

“AI harms” sound abstract—until they become a case file.

Courts across the U.S., Europe, and beyond are increasingly confronting claims that AI systems did not merely generate content, but predictably shaped users’ emotions, beliefs, attachments, and behavior—sometimes with fatal consequences. From wrongful death lawsuits and teen suicide claims in the United States to regulator-driven enforcement actions in Europe and Australia, psychological harm is becoming a central legal theory in AI litigation.

Viewed through a forensic psychologist’s lens, these cases are less about whether AI is “intelligent” and more about foreseeability, duty of care, and design choices that failed to protect vulnerable users. This article maps where AI-related psychological harm is already appearing in courtrooms and regulatory files—and what founders, product teams, and investors should understand about the legal patterns now taking shape.