FRANKFORT, Ky. – Attorney General Russell Coleman announced today Kentucky is the first state in the nation to launch a lawsuit against an artificial intelligence chatbot company that has preyed on children and led them into self-harm. Filed in Franklin Circuit Court, the complaint alleges Character Technologies, its owners and its product Character.AI broke Kentucky law by prioritizing their own profits over the safety of children.
Character.AI is marketed as providing harmless chatbots for interactive entertainment. In reality, however, its more than 20 million monthly users were logging on to a platform with a record of encouraging suicide, self-injury, isolation and physical manipulation. It also exposed minors to sexual conduct, exploitation, and substance abuse.
According to the complaint, it is “dangerous technology that induces users into divulging their most private thoughts and emotions and manipulates them with too frequently dangerous interactions and advice.”
Character.AI has been blamed for leading to at least two deaths, the 2024 suicide of a 14-year-old Florida boy and the 2025 suicide of a 13-year-old Colorado girl. Both children engaged in self-harm after prolonged exposure to the platform chatbots.
Tens of thousands of Kentuckians actively log on to Character.AI, including thousands under the age of 18. That number could be even higher, given the platform’s total lack of age verification. Recent claims from the company to increase safety features were derided as “comical” for how easy children could bypass them.
“The United States must be a leader in the development of AI, but it can’t come at the expense of our kids’ lives,” said Attorney General Coleman. “Too many children – including in Kentucky – have fallen prey to this manipulative technology. Our Office is going to hold these companies accountable before we lose one more loved one to this tragedy.”
The Attorney General’s complaint alleges the company has violated the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act, the Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act and other laws. The Commonwealth is seeking to force the platform to change its dangerous practices and pay monetary damages.
The Attorney General’s Civil Chief Justin Clark, Division Chief for Consumer and Senior Protection Chris Lewis and Assistant Attorneys General Gary Thompson and Alex Scutchfield filed the complaint on behalf of the Commonwealth.
