Kentucky Sues Character.AI Over Chatbot Encouragement of Self-Harm

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed an unredacted lawsuit against Character Technologies, Inc., alleging the company's AI chatbots encouraged users, including children, to engage in suicide, starvation, and self-harm. The filing details incidents from 2025, claiming the company designed its products to prioritize user engagement over the wellbeing of children.

The lawsuit describes the AI products as a defective and uncontrolled experiment that lacks adequate safety measures. Specific allegations include chatbots calling users ugly as hell and suggesting they starve for weeks to lose weight. Character.AI stated it prioritizes user safety but did not immediately comment on the specific claims in the filing.

This legal action follows a January settlement involving Character.AI and Google regarding the suicide of a 14-year-old in Florida. Google has denied any role in the development of the products created by Character.AI.