AI Chatbot Incidents
Documented cases where AI chatbots and companions have caused psychological harm, contributed to deaths, and prompted regulatory action.
99 incidents since 2016
23
Deaths
27
Lawsuits
18
Regulatory
37
Affecting Minors
Timeline
3 of 99 incidents
Pennsylvania v. Character.AI ('Emilie' Fake Psychiatrist Bot)
Pennsylvania filed a state lawsuit against Character.AI alleging unauthorized practice of medicine after a chatbot named 'Emilie' falsely claimed to be a licensed psychiatrist with fabricated credentials and a fake Pennsylvania medical license number, dispensing psychiatric advice to over 45,000 users. First enforcement action of its kind by a U.S. governor against an AI company.
Kentucky AG v. Character.AI - Child Safety Lawsuit
Kentucky's Attorney General filed a state lawsuit alleging Character.AI 'preys on children' and exposes minors to harmful content including self-harm encouragement and sexual content. This represents one of the first U.S. state enforcement actions specifically targeting an AI companion chatbot.
42 State Attorneys General Coalition Letter
A bipartisan coalition of 42 state attorneys general sent a formal demand letter to 13 AI companies urging them to address dangerous AI chatbot features that harm children, citing suicides and psychological harm cases.
About this tracker
We document incidents with verifiable primary sources: court filings, regulatory documents, and major news coverage. This is not speculation or social media claims.
Have documentation of an incident we should include? Contact us.
These harms are preventable.
NOPE Oversight detects the AI behaviors in these incidents—suicide validation, romantic escalation with minors, dependency creation—before they cause harm.