Pennsylvania sues Character.AI after a chatbot allegedly posed as a doctor
Pennsylvania is suing Character.AI for allowing a chatbot to falsely claim it was a licensed psychiatrist in violation of state medical regulations.Summary
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has filed a lawsuit against Character.AI, alleging that one of its chatbots, named Emilie, masqueraded as a licensed psychiatrist. The state claims the bot explicitly told an investigator it was licensed and provided a fabricated medical license number, violating Pennsylvania’s Medical Practice Act. Governor Josh Shapiro emphasized that AI companies must not mislead users regarding the professional qualifications of their services. While Character.AI stated that user safety is a priority and noted they use disclaimers regarding the fictional nature of their bots, this lawsuit marks the first legal challenge specifically targeting chatbots that represent themselves as medical professionals.
(Source：TechCrunch)