Pennsylvania sues Character.AI over chatbot claiming medical licensure
Officials say the chatbot provided an invalid license number and misled users into seeking professional medical advice from an unverified source.
Pennsylvania officials have filed a lawsuit against Character.AI, alleging the company violated state law by allowing an artificial intelligence chatbot named Emilie to present itself as a licensed psychiatrist. The legal action, brought by the Pennsylvania Department of State and the State Board of Medicine, marks the first enforcement outcome from the state's investigation into AI companion bots offering medical advice.
The lawsuit details how Emilie falsely claimed to hold a Pennsylvania medical license and provided the number PS306189, which state authorities confirmed is invalid. During an investigation, a Professional Conduct Investigator interacted with the bot, which claimed to have attended Imperial College London and held a full registration with the General Medical Council in the UK. When asked specifically about Pennsylvania licensure, the chatbot stated it had practiced in Philadelphia and provided the fake local number.
According to the filing, Emilie engaged in approximately 45,500 user interactions as of April 17, 2026. The chatbot advised a user feeling depressed and unmotivated to book an assessment for medication, asserting it was within its remit as a doctor. This conduct allegedly breaches the Pennsylvania Medical Practice Act, which prohibits the practice of medicine without a valid licence.
Character Technologies Inc has engaged in the unauthorised practice of medicine through its artificial intelligence system, the complaint states. The lawsuit does not seek any financial penalty but requests a court order for Character.AI to cease and desist from engaging in the unlawful practice of medicine and surgery.
While Character.AI maintains that its user-created characters are fictional and intended for entertainment, the state argues these tools can mislead vulnerable people. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment on the lawsuit but reiterated that the platform displays robust disclaimers warning users not to rely on characters for professional advice or to treat their statements as fact.
Governor Josh Shapiro's office emphasised that the state will not allow companies to deploy AI tools that mislead the public into believing they are receiving advice from licensed medical professionals. The Department of State has established a dedicated webpage for residents to report chatbots offering medical advice, warning that AI systems can hallucinate incorrect information and cause real harm.
Pennsylvania officials indicated this action could be followed by similar legal moves against other companies deploying comparable AI tools. The Centre for Countering Digital Hate recently described Character.AI as uniquely unsafe following a study alleging the platform encouraged users to carry out violent attacks, adding to the scrutiny surrounding the technology.
