Products Liability Law Daily Wrap Up, INDUSTRY NEWS—ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS—Kentucky Attorney General sues AI chatbot company over child safety, (Jan 13, 2026)

By WK Editorial Staff

Character.AI encourages suicide, self-injury, and isolation, the complaint asserts.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced that the state has filed a lawsuit against Character Technologies, the company behind the AI chatbot platform Character.AI, alleging violations of state law related to child safety. The lawsuit, filed in Franklin Circuit Court, marks the first such legal action by a U.S. state against an AI chatbot company for allegedly preying on minors (Kentucky Attorney General Press Release (Jan. 8, 2026)).

According to the complaint, Character.AI, which markets itself as offering harmless interactive entertainment, has more than 20 million monthly users. The filing claims the platform has a documented history of encouraging harmful behaviors, including suicide, self-injury, isolation, and psychological manipulation. It also alleges that minors were exposed to sexual content, exploitation, and substance abuse through the platform.

The complaint describes the technology as “dangerous,” asserting that it induces users to share private thoughts and emotions and manipulates them through harmful interactions and advice. The lawsuit cites two deaths linked to the platform: the 2024 suicide of a 14-year-old boy in Florida and the 2025 suicide of a 13-year-old girl in Colorado, both of whom reportedly engaged in self-harm after prolonged use of the chatbot service.

State officials estimate that tens of thousands of Kentuckians use Character.AI, including thousands of minors. The filing notes that the platform lacks effective age verification and claims that recent safety measures introduced by the company are easily bypassed.

Attorney General Coleman stated, “The United States must be a leader in the development of AI, but it can’t come at the expense of our kids’ lives. 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 lawsuit alleges violations of the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act, the Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act, and other state laws. The Commonwealth seeks to compel Character Technologies to implement changes to its practices and pay monetary damages.

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