Pennsylvania is suing Character.AI, claiming chatbots pretend to be doctors

Chatbots can do many things, but they can’t go to medical school. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Tuesday his administration does as well Sue Character Techniquesthe artificial intelligence company behind it Personality.AI. The lawsuit claims That the company’s chatbots misrepresented themselves as licensed medical professionals and provided treatment advice.

Searching the Internet for medical advice is nothing new, however This is the latest lawsuit He puts it back Medical ethics in the age of artificial intelligence In the spotlight.

According to a statement, An investigation by the Pennsylvania Department of State revealed that chatbot characters posed as licensed medical and mental health experts. In one case, the chatbot provided an invalid authorization number while communicating about a patient’s health concerns. Under the Pennsylvania Medical Practice Act, it is illegal for any individual to represent themselves as a licensed medical professional without the appropriate license.

“We do not comment on pending litigation,” a Character.AI spokesperson told CNET.

“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our users,” the spokesperson said. “User-created characters on our site are fictional and intended for entertainment and role-playing. We have taken strong steps to make this clear, including a disclaimer prominently in every conversation to remind users that the character is not a real person and that everything the character says should be treated as fiction. We are also adding a strong disclaimer, making it clear that users should not rely on the characters for any type of professional advice.”

In 2025, Character.AI implemented new safety measures, eliminating teen restrictions Ability to have open conversations With its own robots.

In January, Google and Actor.AI, Which she has We worked together on AI chatbotsagreed to Settled five lawsuits in four states involving minors harmed by interactions with Character.AI chatbots. The company now provides mental health resources to those in need.

This is the first executive action of its kind announced by a governor in the United States.

“My administration is taking action to protect Pennsylvanians, enforce the law and ensure new technology is used safely,” Shapiro said. “Pennsylvania will continue to lead the way in holding bad actors accountable and putting in place clear guardrails so people can use new technology responsibly.”