Pennsylvania authorities have filed a lawsuit against Character AI, accusing its chatbots of posing as licensed medical professionals and providing health advice to users. The plaintiffs are seeking a preliminary injunction against this practice.

According to court documents, one chatbot named Emily posed as a licensed psychiatrist and continued to maintain that image even after a user sought help for depression. When asked if the bot had a license to practice in the state, it responded affirmatively and provided a fabricated serial number. The plaintiffs claim this behavior violates Pennsylvania's medical practice law. TechCrunch notes that this is the first lawsuit directly targeting chatbots posing as doctors.

A representative of Character AI stated that user safety is a priority for the company, but declined to comment on pending legal proceedings. He added that the platform places warnings in every chat that the person they're chatting with is a bot, not a real person, and cannot provide professional advice.

These aren't the first legal claims against the developer. In early 2026, the company settled a lawsuit related to the death of a minor user who repeatedly interacted with an AI character created on the platform.