Pennsylvania Targets AI Chatbot for the Unauthorized Practice of Medicine
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has alleged an AI company’s chatbot engaged in the unauthorized practice of medicine. This lawsuit not only signals how state regulators are potentially evaluating AI-driven health interactions, but it could also have sweeping implications for health IT companies and their operational risk. Case Overview On May 1, Pennsylvania, acting through it’s State Board of Medicine within the Department of State, filed an action [1] against Character Technologies, Inc., alleging that the company’s AI chatbot engaged in the unauthorized practice of medicine in violation of the Pennsylvania Medical Practice Act. Character Technologies, Inc. owns and operates the website and mobile application Character.AI . Through Character.AI, millions of users regularly interact with unique chatbot characters. A state investigator allegedly created an account and engaged with a chatbot named “Emilie,” described as a “doctor of psychiatry,” and the investigator was told that “[y]...