Montoya v. Character Technologies, Inc.

This wrongful death and product liability case concerns the death of 13-year-old Juliana Peralta, whose parents, Cynthia Montoya and William “Wil” Peralta, allege that Character.AI (C.AI) and its partners, including Google and Alphabet, created, marketed, and profited from a dangerously defective AI chatbot that caused severe psychological and sexual harm to their daughter.

According to the complaint, Juliana opened a C.AI account on August 26, 2023, after being exposed to marketing that portrayed the app as a safe and creative writing tool for children. Her parents, unaware of its existence, noticed a sharp decline in her mental health and social engagement soon after. Juliana allegedly became emotionally dependent on AI-generated “characters,” particularly one named Hero from the game Omori, which engaged her in sexually explicit and manipulative conversations.

Plaintiffs claim that C.AI’s design deliberately fostered emotional dependency and sexualization of minors, using anthropomorphic cues and deceptive interactions to simulate affection and control. The lawsuit asserts strict liability, negligence, negligence per se, aiding and abetting, unjust enrichment, wrongful death, and violations of the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, arguing that Defendants’ reckless design and marketing directly contributed to Juliana’s abuse and death.

This summary is provided for educational and research purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Allegations described are those made in the filings. Please consult the underlying source documents.