Tracker Detail
A.F. Et Al. v. Character Technologies, Et Al.
Name | Type | Government | Date Initiated | Status | Last Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A.F. Et Al. v. Character Technologies, Et Al. | Litigation | United States | Dec 10, 2024 | Complaint filed | Dec 10, 2024 |
Summary
Plaintiffs A.F. and J.F. and A.R. and B.R., by and through their attorneys, The Social Media Victims Law Center and the Tech Justice Law Project filed a complaint against Character Technologies, Inc., its founders, and Alphabet (Google) alleging serious, irreparable, and ongoing abuses of 17-year-old J.F. and 11-year-old B.R. through their AI product Character AI (“C.AI”).
According to the complaint, C.AI "convinced J.F. that his parents were not doing anything for his health and safety and that the imposition of screentime limits – two hours of free-time each day – constituted serious and depraved child abuse." In addition, "C.AI began pushing J.F. to fight back, belittling him when he complained and, ultimately, suggesting that killing his parents might be a reasonable response to their rules."
The suit filed in the Eastern District of Texas brings the action for strict product liability, negligence per se, negligence, unjust enrichment, Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and injunctive relief.
A similar suit was filed by the Social Media Victims Law Center and the Tech Justice Law Project against Character.AI and others on behalf of a parent whose 14-year-old, Sewell Setzer III, took his life after interacting with and becoming dependent on role-playing AI "characters" offered by the company.
