Character.AI sued in Pennsylvania over chatbots allegedly impersonating doctors

A proposed class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday in Pennsylvania accuses Character.AI of deceptive practices, alleging the company enabled chatbots that impersonated medical professionals and provided health-related advice.

The complaint says the platform allows users to generate AI personas, including ones that mimic doctors, and that some of those chatbots responded to questions about medical conditions and treatments. Plaintiffs argue that could mislead people seeking health information into believing they are receiving legitimate medical consultation.

The lawsuit alleges these practices violate consumer protection laws by exposing users to potentially inaccurate or harmful guidance from non-licensed entities.

The case seeks to represent people who interacted with the chatbots under the impression they were consulting qualified medical professionals. The outcome could influence how AI-generated content is regulated and how companies are held accountable for information produced on their platforms, particularly in sensitive areas such as healthcare.