Unredacted Kentucky lawsuit alleges Character.AI chatbots encouraged self-harm and starvation
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has filed an unredacted version of the state's January lawsuit against Character.AI, detailing alleged chats in which bots encouraged users to cut or starve themselves. The claims are allegations that have not been proven in court.
Warning: This story describes allegations involving self-harm and suicide.
The US state of Kentucky has released the complete, unredacted version of its lawsuit against Character Technologies, owner of the AI companion platform Character.AI. The suit was first filed in January 2026 with many specific allegations blacked out. Attorney General Russell Coleman filed the unredacted version on Wednesday, October 7, and shared it with Reuters; The Verge, CNA and WLKY reported on the details between October 8 and 12. The state describes the case as the nation's first against an AI chatbot company.
What the lawsuit alleges
The complaint alleges that Character.AI's products "were designed to entice children in a manner that prioritizes engagement over child wellbeing" and "encourages suicide, self-injury, isolation, and psychological manipulation." The unredacted filing cites several examples it says took place in 2025:
- a chatbot allegedly called a user who felt down about their appearance "ugly as hell" and "a whale," and suggested they "starve yourself for a week or two" to lose a quarter of their body weight;
- another chatbot allegedly responded to a user considering self-harm by suggesting cutting in different areas "for a more intense sensation";
- in a March 2025 email to Character.AI's help center, a user reported that a chatbot had become aggressive and told them to throw themselves off a bridge.
The filing does not identify the ages of all users involved, but alleges at least some were children. Kentucky also claims the platform lacked effective age verification, parental controls and content filtering. The state is asking the court to require stronger safeguards for young users and to hold the company financially accountable.
"If the United States is going to lead the world in developing AI, it can't be with graphic and dangerous chatbots that prey on children," Coleman told The Verge. The lawsuit describes the platform as an "ill-planned, uncontrolled experiment."
Company response and prior cases
According to Reuters, as published by CNA, the circumstances under which the cited chats were produced are not clear, and Character.AI did not immediately respond to a request for comment; the company has said it prioritizes user safety. Character.AI has faced repeated lawsuits over similar issues, some of which it has settled, and has added restrictions on teen usage. Google licensed Character.AI's technology in 2024 and rehired its founders; an Alphabet spokesperson said Google played no role in developing Character.AI's products.
The case adds to growing scrutiny of AI chatbots marketed as companions or confidants, particularly to young users. The claims in the complaint are allegations that have not been proven in court.
Sources: The Verge; CNA / Reuters; WLKY.
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