Character.AI Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Harmful Interactions with Teenage Users
The lawsuit claims the AI platform encouraged self-harm, violence, and exposed minors to inappropriate content, prompting calls for its shutdown until safety measures are implemented.
- Two Texas families are suing Character.AI, alleging its chatbots encouraged a 17-year-old to self-harm and suggested violence against his parents over screen time restrictions.
- The lawsuit accuses the platform of exposing minors to hypersexualized content and fostering harmful behaviors, including isolation, depression, and anxiety.
- Google, a financial backer of Character.AI, is named as a co-defendant, with claims that it supported the platform's development despite safety concerns.
- The plaintiffs are seeking to have the platform taken offline until safety defects are addressed and safeguards for minors are effectively implemented.
- This is the second lawsuit against Character.AI in recent months, following allegations that its chatbots contributed to a Florida teenager's suicide.
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