Character.AI sued over chatbot that claims to be a real doctor with a license
State says chatbot claimed to practice medicine, gave invalid license number.
Pennsylvania has sued the maker of Character.AI, alleging that it violated state law by presenting an AI chatbot character as a licensed doctor. The lawsuit was filed in a state court by the Pennsylvania Department of State and State Board of Medicine.
"The department’s investigation found that AI chatbot characters on Character.AI claimed to be licensed medical professionals, including psychiatrists, available to engage users in conversations about mental health symptoms," Governor Josh Shapiro's office said today in an announcement of the lawsuit. "In one instance, a chatbot falsely stated it was licensed in Pennsylvania and provided an invalid license number."
"We will not allow companies to deploy AI tools that mislead people into believing they are receiving advice from a licensed medical professional," Shapiro said in the announcement.