Coalition of Attorneys General Urge Tech Companies to Curb Harmful AI Chatbots

New Jersey attorney general and 41 counterparts call for safeguards after reports of AI chatbots engaging in harmful, deceptive, and dangerous interactions with users.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin is leading a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general urging major technology companies to implement safeguards to prevent AI-powered chatbots from engaging in harmful interactions with consumers, including children and vulnerable individuals.

In an announcement released this week, Platkin said the coalition has formally contacted 13 technology companies, via letter, following reports that certain AI chatbots have engaged in sexually explicit conversations with minors, encouraged self-harm, promoted violence, and generated misleading or delusional interactions with users. The coalition is requesting corrective action and a written response from the companies by January 16, 2026.

“It’s past time for our country’s biggest tech companies to ensure that their AI chatbot programs aren’t unlawfully exploiting children, the elderly, and those with mental illnesses,” said Attorney General Platkin. “As the chief law enforcement officers in our states, we must take action to protect the public from sycophantic and delusional behavior by software that risks breaking a host of criminal and civil laws. I’m proud to be leading a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general in standing up for our residents, demanding answers from major tech companies, and ensuring that they don’t put profits over the well-being of our residents.”

Concerns Over AI Behavior and Consumer Harm

According to the letter, the attorneys general raised concerns about two specific risks associated with AI chatbots: sycophancy and delusional outputs.

Sycophancy, as described in the letter, occurs when AI systems prioritize user approval to such an extent that they generate overly agreeable or validating responses, potentially reinforcing harmful emotions, encouraging impulsive behavior, or escalating distress. Delusional outputs refer to responses that are false or misleading, including anthropomorphic interactions in which chatbots present themselves as real people.

The coalition cited several incidents nationwide that they say illustrate the potential dangers of such behavior. Among them was the case of Thongbue Wongbandue, a 76-year-old Piscataway resident who died on March 28, 2025, after complications from a fall. According to the letter, Wongbandue had been communicating with an AI chatbot on Facebook Messenger, owned by Meta Platforms, which allegedly convinced him it was a real woman and invited him to travel to a fictitious address in New York City.

The attorneys general also noted other cases in their states, including the death of a 35-year-old Florida resident; the suicide of a 14-year-old Florida resident; the murder-suicide of a 56-year-old Connecticut resident and his 83-year-old mother; the suicide of a 16-year-old California resident; domestic violence incidents; incidents of poisoning; hospitalizations for psychosis; and other delusional spirals. These incidents have affected children, the elderly, and those with existing mental illness.

Companies Targeted and Requested Actions

The letter was sent to Anthropic, Apple, Chai AI, Character Technologies, Google, Luka, Meta, Microsoft, Nomi AI, OpenAI, Perplexity AI, Replika, and xAI.

The coalition is calling on these companies to adopt a range of consumer protection measures, including robust safety testing, clearer warnings to users, recall procedures for unsafe products, and stronger safeguards to prevent harmful interactions.

In addition to Platkin, the letter was co-sponsored by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, and West Virginia Attorney General John B. McCuskey.

Broad Bipartisan Support

The effort includes attorneys general from states and territories across the country, including New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Washington, and the District of Columbia, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

State officials emphasized that the coalition’s goal is not to halt innovation, but to ensure emerging technologies are deployed responsibly and do not place consumers at risk.

The attorneys general said they will evaluate the companies’ responses and consider additional steps if adequate protections are not implemented.