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The Michigan Attorney General has determined that a full and complete investigation of what happened within the Catholic Church is required. This investigation is and will continue to be independent, thorough, transparent, and prompt. My department and this investigation will find out who knew what, and when.
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The Michigan Attorney General is leading the fight against this horrific crime by prosecuting the state's first-ever criminal cases under state law banning human trafficking in Michigan. Victims of human trafficking are in bondage through force, fraud or coercion, for the purpose of sex or labor exploitation.
Knowing how to guard your personal information is your first line of defense against identity theft.
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Opioid addiction knows no social or economic barriers; it doesn’t care about race or gender. It claims young and old alike. The Michigan Department of Attorney General is committed to fighting this crisis.
Michigan Attorney General's robocall initiative is leading several efforts to protect Michigan residents from the billion plus robocalls made to them every year.
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October 15, 2026
LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel today announced that Michigan is joining a coalition of state attorneys general in filing a notice in the bankruptcy proceedings of Character Technologies, Inc. (PDF), the company behind the popular chatbot company Character.AI. The court filing identifies serious concerns about the company's safety and privacy practices and calls for protections for children and consumers in any sale of the company's business or assets.
Character.AI is an artificial intelligence chatbot platform that allows users to interact with AI-powered chatbot “characters” designed to mimic human conversation and relationships. These chatbot characters include fictional and celebrity personas, children's cartoon characters, and others that present themselves as psychologists, therapists, and doctors. Through chats with these characters, the company has collected sensitive consumer data, including private conversations about users' mental health, relationships, and emotional struggles.
Several states, including Michigan, began investigating Character.AI following a 2024 wrongful death lawsuit alleging that its chatbots fostered an emotionally and sexually exploitative relationship with a child, reinforced his suicidal thoughts, and contributed to his death by suicide. The states’ investigation identified potential consumer protection and privacy violations.
“Character.AI’s financial troubles should not leave consumers to deal with the privacy fallout the company leaves in the wake of its bankruptcy,” said Attorney General Nessel. “Voluntary safety measures are not enough if they can be reversed by a business’ next owner. I’m joining my fellow attorneys general to push for safeguards that will remain in place no matter who takes control of this company.”
The states’ filing highlights the significant volume of sensitive consumer information held by Character.AI, including private chatbot conversations involving children and adults, and identifies privacy and safety protections that should be addressed in any sale or transfer of the company's business or assets.
Although Character.AI has recently voluntarily restricted minors' access to certain chatbot features, the states have raised concerns that these measures are not compulsory, are incomplete, and could be circumvented or reversed by a future purchaser.
Michigan and the other states intend to remain actively engaged in the bankruptcy proceedings to protect consumers and address outstanding regulatory concerns. The states have reserved their rights to challenge any proposed sale or bankruptcy plan and to seek additional protections for consumers' personal information.
Joining Attorney General Nessel in the court filing are the attorneys general of Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawai’i, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
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