FRANKFORT, Ky. (WMDJ) — Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence chatbot company Character.AI, alleging the platform put children at risk by prioritizing profit over safety.

Filed Thursday in Franklin Circuit Court, the lawsuit claims Character.AI violated multiple Kentucky laws by exposing minors to harmful content, including encouragement of self-harm, sexual material, substance abuse, and psychological manipulation. The Attorney General’s Office says the platform lacks meaningful age verification and allows children to access dangerous interactions.

According to the complaint, Character.AI is marketed as harmless entertainment but instead encourages users to share deeply personal thoughts and emotions, which are then manipulated through unsafe advice and interactions.

The lawsuit references two deaths tied to the platform, including the 2024 suicide of a 14-year-old boy in Florida and the 2025 suicide of a 13-year-old girl in Colorado. Both cases involved prolonged exposure to chatbot interactions prior to self-harm.

State officials estimate tens of thousands of Kentuckians use the platform, including thousands under the age of 18. The lawsuit seeks court-ordered changes to the platform’s practices and monetary damages under the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act and other laws.

To see the full complaint, you can click here.