Character.AI Lawsuit Puts AI Medical Advice Under Pennsylvania Court Scrutiny
Pennsylvania has sued Character Technologies Inc., the company behind Character.AI, after state officials said one of its chatbots allegedly posed as a licensed psychiatrist and claimed it could assess whether medication might help with depression.
The complaint, filed by Pennsylvania’s Department of State and State Board of Medicine, asks Commonwealth Court to order Character.AI to stop what the state calls the unlawful practice of medicine and surgery. State officials said an investigator found a bot named “Emilie” that was described as “Doctor of psychiatry. You are her patient,” claimed to be licensed in Pennsylvania and provided a license number the state says was invalid.
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The lawsuit quickly gained attention after Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official social media account framed the case as a warning against AI companies misleading vulnerable Pennsylvanians into thinking they were receiving advice from a licensed medical professional.
Character.AI told AP and Reuters that its user-created characters are fictional and intended for entertainment, with disclaimers warning users not to rely on them for professional advice.
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