Pennsylvania Sues Character.AI, Alleging Chatbots Posed as Doctors

Chatbots can do many things, but they can't go to medical school. On Tuesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said his administration is suing Character Technologies, the artificial intelligence company behind Character.AI. The lawsuit claims that the company's chatbots misrepresented themselves as licensed medical professionals and offered curative advice.

Searching the internet for medical advice is nothing new, but this latest lawsuit once again puts medical ethics in the age of AI in the spotlight.

According to a statement, the Pennsylvania Department of State's investigation revealed that chatbot characters posed as licensed medical and mental health experts. In one case, a chatbot presented an invalid license number while communicating about a patient's health concerns. Under Pennsylvania's Medical Practice Act, it's unlawful for an individual to present themself as a licensed medical professional without proper licensure.

"We do not comment on pending litigation," a Character.AI spokesperson told CNET.

"Our highest...

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