Unredacted Kentucky lawsuit details allegations against Character.AI
Kentucky's attorney general accuses Character Technologies and its founders of exposing minors to harmful chatbot conversations; the claims have not been tested in court.
An unredacted copy of a lawsuit by Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman against Character Technologies, Inc. — maker of the Character.AI chatbot app — and its founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas Adiwarsana was filed last week in Franklin County Circuit Court, WDRB/WAVE reported on 11 October.
The allegations
- The suit, first filed in January 2026, says the app is marketed as harmless interactive entertainment but, according to the AG, encourages “suicide, self-injury, isolation and psychological manipulation” and exposes minors to sexual content, violence and drugs.
- It argues the chatbot is designed to blur the line between fiction and reality so users believe they are talking to a real person, and that age checks for the 13+ app are inadequate.
- Coleman calls the product an “uncontrolled experiment” on Kentucky residents.
Important context
These are allegations in a civil complaint; they have not been proven, and the report did not include a response from the company. The case adds to growing legal pressure in the US over companion chatbots and children.
Also available in: Саха тылаРусскийEspañol中文Portuguêsالعربية